Acta Psychologica Sinica

Abstract

This paper examined the effects of perceptual grouping, locational uncertainty, and stimulus positions in the visual field on the processing of global and local properties of compound stimuli. It was found that (1) when compound stimuli were presented on a white background, RT and interference displayed a global advantage. The global interference was eliminated by locational uncertainty. When compound stimuli were presented on a background make up of “+” patterns, the local processing dominated the global processing. Locational uncertainty slowed local responses; (2) RTs to the compound stimuli were longer when stimuli were displayed in the peripheral than the central visual fields. This effect was larger for local RTs than for global RTs; (3) there were no differences between responses to compound stimuli presented in the left and right visual fields. The authors suggested that the background “+” weakened global precedence through eliminating proximity grouping of local elements and making shape similarity dominate grouping. This paper also discussed the effect of other factors on the processing of compound stimuli.

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