Evidence Relating Subjective Contours and Interpretations Involving Occlusion

Subjective contours, according to one theory, outline surfaces that are apparently interposed between the viewer and background (because of the disruption of background figures, sudden termination of lines, and other occlusion "cues") but are not explicitly outlined by intensity disc...

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Main Author: Stevens, Kent A.
Language:en_US
Published: 2004
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/6359
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author Stevens, Kent A.
author_facet Stevens, Kent A.
author_sort Stevens, Kent A.
collection MIT
description Subjective contours, according to one theory, outline surfaces that are apparently interposed between the viewer and background (because of the disruption of background figures, sudden termination of lines, and other occlusion "cues") but are not explicitly outlined by intensity discontinuities. This theory predicts that if occlusion cures are not interpreted as evidence of occlusion, no intervening surface need be postulated, hence no subjective contours would be seen. This prediction, however, is difficult to test because observers normally interpret the cues as occlusion evidence and normally see the subjective contours. This article describes a patient with visual agnosia who is both unable to make the usual occlusion interpretations and is unable to see subjective contours. He has, however, normal ability to interpret standard visual illusions, stereograms, and in particular, stereogram versions of the standard subjective contour figures, which elicit to him strong subjective edges in depth (corresponding to the subjective contours viewed in the monocular versions of the figures).
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spelling mit-1721.1/63592019-04-11T01:11:21Z Evidence Relating Subjective Contours and Interpretations Involving Occlusion Stevens, Kent A. Subjective contours, according to one theory, outline surfaces that are apparently interposed between the viewer and background (because of the disruption of background figures, sudden termination of lines, and other occlusion "cues") but are not explicitly outlined by intensity discontinuities. This theory predicts that if occlusion cures are not interpreted as evidence of occlusion, no intervening surface need be postulated, hence no subjective contours would be seen. This prediction, however, is difficult to test because observers normally interpret the cues as occlusion evidence and normally see the subjective contours. This article describes a patient with visual agnosia who is both unable to make the usual occlusion interpretations and is unable to see subjective contours. He has, however, normal ability to interpret standard visual illusions, stereograms, and in particular, stereogram versions of the standard subjective contour figures, which elicit to him strong subjective edges in depth (corresponding to the subjective contours viewed in the monocular versions of the figures). 2004-10-04T14:53:04Z 2004-10-04T14:53:04Z 1981-06-01 AIM-637 http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/6359 en_US AIM-637 4333549 bytes 3090710 bytes application/postscript application/pdf application/postscript application/pdf
spellingShingle Stevens, Kent A.
Evidence Relating Subjective Contours and Interpretations Involving Occlusion
title Evidence Relating Subjective Contours and Interpretations Involving Occlusion
title_full Evidence Relating Subjective Contours and Interpretations Involving Occlusion
title_fullStr Evidence Relating Subjective Contours and Interpretations Involving Occlusion
title_full_unstemmed Evidence Relating Subjective Contours and Interpretations Involving Occlusion
title_short Evidence Relating Subjective Contours and Interpretations Involving Occlusion
title_sort evidence relating subjective contours and interpretations involving occlusion
url http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/6359
work_keys_str_mv AT stevenskenta evidencerelatingsubjectivecontoursandinterpretationsinvolvingocclusion