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Published on: April 16, 2014
A theory of dynamic occluded and illusory object perception
Evan M Palmer1, Philip J Kellman, Thomas F Shipley
1Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA. palmer@search.bwh.harvard.edu
Journal of Experimental Psychology. General
|November 8, 2006
Summary
The theory of spatiotemporal relatability (STR) explains how the brain perceives whole objects from fragmented visual input. Experiments confirm STR
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Science
- Neuroscience
- Visual Perception
Background:
- Human visual perception integrates fragmented spatial and temporal information into coherent object representations.
- The mechanisms underlying spatiotemporal object perception, particularly how fragments are unified, remain incompletely understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose and formalize the theory of spatiotemporal relatability (STR) for object perception.
- To investigate the visual information and processes involved in assembling fragmented visual input into unitary objects.
- To test predictions of STR concerning object formation under various conditions.
Main Methods:
- Formalization of STR specifying spatial and temporal relations for object formation.
- Experimental testing of STR predictions using dynamic, static, occluded, and illusory objects.
- Analysis of contour interpolation processes for both amodal and modal perception.
Main Results:
- Experimental results confirmed predictions derived from the theory of spatiotemporal relatability.
- Evidence supports a common process for amodal and modal contour interpolation (identity hypothesis).
- New insights were gained into the relative efficiency of static versus dynamic object formation.
Conclusions:
- The theory of spatiotemporal relatability offers a unified framework for understanding object perception.
- STR postulates a 'dynamic visual icon' to maintain and connect object fragments.
- The theory accounts for interpolation in static, dynamic, occluded, and illusory object perception.
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