The figure has a shape, but the ground does not: evidence from a priming paradigm

In four experiments, the authors examined the extent to which the ground interpretation of an edge may receive a shape description. These experiments used the priming effect that shapes have on perceptual judgments on a subsequent trial. A robust reduction in error rates and reaction times was seen when the figural shape was the same as that on the previous trial. This repetition priming effect may be due to activation of the shape description of the figure that remained from the previous trial. In contrast, no priming by the shape of the ground was seen even when the contrast sign of the figure reversed between trials. Priming for figural shapes occurred at a relatively abstract level because it was robust across reversals of contrast and orientation. These data suggest that the figural interpretation of a shape receives a shape description but that the ground does not.