0000000000369222
AUTHOR
Jukka Saarinen
Integration of local features into a global shape
AbstractIt is a well-established fact that the cortical filters selective for spatial frequency and orientation have a limited spatial extent. The present study investigated how information from local filters is integrated into global shapes. Specifically, we were interested in whether identification of a global pattern consisting of small oriented, spatially-bandpass features (Gabor patches) depends on the orientations of those features. The observer was presented with a C-like stimulus shape comprised of oriented Gabor elements on a blank background, and the performance measure was the threshold contrast for identifying the global orientation of the C-shape (four possible rotated orientat…
Visual Search for Grouped versus Ungrouped Icons in a Computer Interface
The paradigm of visual search was used to investigate how participants looked for a target file among distracter files in an icon-based computer interface. The purpose of these experiments was to study the effect of icons and spatial grouping on scanning speed. Does spatial grouping of identical icons increase the scanning speed? Do icons themselves speed up the search for a target file when compared with a condition in which the files are indicated with mere textual labels? Our results showed that both the presence of icons and their grouping had a significant positive effect on the scanning speed. Potential applications of this research include the design of graphics-based interfaces, su…