Lesley Deas

Gestalt grouping via closure degrades suprathreshold depth percepts.

It is well known that the perception of depth is susceptible to changes in configuration. For example, stereoscopic precision for a pair of vertical lines can be dramatically reduced when these lines are connected to form a closed object. Here, we extend this paradigm to suprathreshold estimates of perceived depth. Using a touch-sensor, observers made quantitative estimates of depth between a vertical line pair presented in isolation or as edges of a closed rectangular object with different figural interpretations. First, we show that the amount of depth estimated within a closed rectangular object is consistently reduced relative to the vertical edges presented in isolation or when they form the edges of two segmented objects. We then demonstrate that the reduction in perceived depth for closed objects is modulated by manipulations that influence perceived closure of the central figure. Depth percepts were most disrupted when the horizontal connectors and vertical lines matched in color. Perceived depth increased slightly when the connectors had opposite contrast polarity, but increased dramatically when flankers were added. Thus, as grouping cues were added to counter the interpretation of a closed object, the depth degradation effect was systematically eliminated. The configurations tested here rule out explanations based on early, local interactions such as inhibition or cue conflict; instead, our results provide strong evidence of the impact of Gestalt grouping, via closure, on depth magnitude percepts from stereopsis.

Perceptual grouping via binocular disparity: The impact of stereoscopic good continuation.

Stereoscopic contextual effects are widely reported but are generally discussed in terms of 2-D Gestalt grouping principles, e.g., good continuation or closure. We propose that there are disparity-based grouping operations that are separable from 2-D grouping and instead depend on the distribution of binocular disparity information. Two experiments assess the impact of perceptual grouping via good disparity continuation. First, perceived depth magnitude is reduced for a multidot contour with a smooth disparity gradient compared to the end points in isolation. This reduction is eliminated when disparity jitter is introduced to the intermediate dots. Second, observers showed more efficient visual search for the continuous contour versus the discontinuous version. Therefore, when there is spatial support for interpretation of a slanted object, quantitative depth is reduced, but is rapidly detected in visual search. These results reflect the operation of disparity-based grouping, extending the 2-D principle of good continuation into the third dimension.