title: Threshold Differences on Figure and Ground: Gelb and Granit (1923).
abstract: In 1923, Gelb and Granit, using a method of adjustment for a small red light, reported a lower threshold for the target when presented on a ground region than on an adjacent figural region. More recent work in perceptual organization has found precisely the opposite-a processing advantage seems to go to items presented on the figure, not the ground. Although Gelb and Granit continue to be cited for their finding, it has not previously been available as an English translation. Understanding their methodology and results is important for integrating early Gestalt theory with more recent investigations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA.
authors.forename: Max
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kinateder
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Wheaton College, Norton, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Rolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nelson
keywords: attention; contours or surfaces; perceptual organization; shapes or objects