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Attention and figure-ground organization

The influence of spatial attention location on figure-ground organization was assessed in an experiment in which a cued detection paradigm was paired with a figure-ground task. Viewers' fixation was held constant while a cued detection task directed their attention to a location in one of two regions within a figure-ground stimulus. Viewers were more likely to see a meaningless shape (low denotative region) as figure when spatial attention was allocated to that region than when it was allocated elsewhere. The location of spatial attention had no influence on whether or not a meaningful shape (high denotative region) was seen as figure. The results are discussed in terms of direct and indirect routes through which attention might influence figure-ground organization.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:arizona.edu/oai:arizona.openrepository.com:10150/291714
Date January 1992
CreatorsHarvey, Erin, 1965-
ContributorsPeterson, Mary A.
PublisherThe University of Arizona.
Source SetsUniversity of Arizona
Languageen_US
Detected LanguageEnglish
Typetext, Thesis-Reproduction (electronic)
RightsCopyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author.

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