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Attentional frames, frame curves and figural boundaries: the inside/outside dilemma
J B Subirana-Vilanova1, W Richards
1Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
Vision Research
|May 1, 1996
Summary
Object boundaries are not fixed. What we perceive as inside or outside depends on our attentional focus and the specific task, suggesting a scene-based reference frame is key for object perception.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Computer Vision
- Visual Perception
Background:
- Traditionally, attended and unattended regions in image analysis are considered binary complements with clear boundaries.
- However, visual perception research suggests this binary distinction may be an oversimplification.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of attentional reference frames in object description.
- To explore how task demands influence the salience of figure boundaries.
Main Methods:
- An experiment involving perturbed convex shapes to assess similarity judgments based on contours.
- Analysis of how attentional focus shifts between the inside and outside of contours.
- Examination of concave shapes to understand challenges in defining containment.
Main Results:
- Similarity judgments for perturbed convex shapes primarily rely on external contours, not internal regions.
- Task introduction can significantly increase the salience of internal contour regions.
- Concave shapes present difficulties for defining containment, further highlighting boundary ambiguity.
Conclusions:
- Figure boundaries are not objectively defined and are influenced by subjective factors.
- An attentional reference frame, potentially a scene-bound 'clearboard', is crucial for object description.
- Perception is dynamic, adapting to task relevance and attentional focus.