title: A group theoretical model of symmetry cognition.
abstract: We report on two experiments, published originally in Japanese, on judged goodness and simplicity of dot patterns with reflectional and rotational symmetries (with 1-4 reflection axes and repeats, respectively) under free-viewing tasks. We found that (a) both goodness and simplicity increase monotonously with the number of transformations under which a pattern is invariant; (b) stimulus outlines, such as squares and hexagons, affect both goodness and simplicity; and (c) factors such as contrast polarity and collinearity affect simplicity rather than goodness. The employed free-viewing tasks contrast with detection tasks involving short presentation times, and based on behavioural and neurophysiological evidence, we conclude that this transformational approach captures late rather than early aspects of visio-cognitive processing of visual regularities.
authors.affiliation: Tokushima University, Hachiman-cho, Babayama, Tokushima 770-8070, Japan. Electronic address: jhamada@me.pikara.ne.jp.
authors.forename: Jiro
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hamada
authors.affiliation: Ehime University, Yunoyama, Matsuyama, Ehime 791-0121, Japan.
authors.forename: Kaname
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Amano
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Education, Bunkyo University, Koshigaya, Saitama 343-8511, Japan.
authors.forename: Steve T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Fukuda
authors.affiliation: Integrated Arts and Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima 770-8502, Japan.
authors.forename: Chigusa
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Uchiumi
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Education, Kawamura Gakuen Women's University, Abiko, Chiba 270-1138, Japan.
authors.forename: Kohji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fukushi
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Experimental Psychology, University of Leuven (K.U. Leuven), Tiensestraat 102, Box 3711, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Peter A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: van der Helm
keywords: Cyclic and dihedral groups; Group theoretical model; Pattern goodness and complexity; Symmetry cognition