Conflicting figure--ground and depth information reduces moving phantom visibility

Moving phantom visibility was measured in two experiments where the global figure-ground and depth relations within phantom-inducing patterns were manipulated. The local inducing environment where the illusion occurred was identical for all patterns. Phantom visibility was significantly reduced when occlusion cues specified the phantom-inducing parts of a pattern as ground. These results suggest conflicting figure-ground and depth information interferes with the representation and perception of phantoms as figure regions.