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Different levels in processing simple geometrical figures
Perceptual and Motor Skills
|October 1, 1978
Summary
This study extends cognitive psychology's levels of processing theory to geometrical shapes. Findings show distinct processing levels apply to visual-geometric judgments, not just letters.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Visual Perception
- Experimental Psychology
Background:
- Prior research established levels of processing for alphabetical material (Posner, 1969).
- The applicability of these processing levels to non-alphabetical stimuli remained underexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if different levels of cognitive processing, akin to those found for letters, extend to geometrical figures.
- To test the hypothesis that visual-geometric stimuli are processed at varying depths.
Main Methods:
- Pairs of simple geometrical figures (triangles, trapezoids) were presented using tachistoscopic methods.
- Participants judged pairs as "same" or "different" based on shape or name congruence.
Main Results:
- Results indicated that participants processed geometrical figures at different cognitive levels.
- The criteria for judging figures as "same" (shape vs. name) influenced processing depth.
Conclusions:
- The findings support the generalization of levels of processing theory to the domain of geometrical figures.
- Cognitive processing of visual-geometric information is not monolithic and occurs at multiple levels.