Symmetry versus repetition in cyclopean vision: a microgenetic analysis

In four experiments, participants had to detect symmetries or repetitions distributed over two depth planes, under presentation times of 200-1000 ms. Structurally corresponding elements were placed in different planes (Experiments 1a and 1b) or in the same plane (Experiments 2a and 2b). Results suggest (a) an ongoing interaction between regularity cues and depth cues, and (b) that efficient detection of symmetry but not of repetition depends on structural correspondences within depth planes. The latter confirms the idea that, to perceptual organization, symmetry is a cue for the presence of one object, whereas repetition is a cue for the presence of multiple objects.