Effects of spatial parameters on the perceptual organization of a bistable motion display

Abstract

In a dynamic visual display which consisted of two alternating frames, each with three line elements, the individual elements which possessed a high degree of spatial correspondence from one frame to the next were paired perceptually and moved about locally. Any remaining elements moved independently and followed different movement rules. When there was no high degree of spatial correspondence of any elements across frames, or when the interval of time between frames was long, the elements behaved as a perceptual unit and moved about as a group. The local pairings and movements appeared to be mediated by a process with different functional characteristics from those of the process which mediated the wholistic movement of the elements as a group. © 1980 Psychonomic Society, Inc.