Perceptual bias in Gestalt grouping by proximity affected by visual working memory load
Basic perceptual processes, including perceptual grouping, are subject to bias. Bias for cardinal orientations interferes with Gestalt grouping by proximity in dot lattices. A critical question is whether the bias arises in perceptual encoding or rather is conveyed in a top-down fashion, possibly me...
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Elsevier
2025-08-01
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| Series: | Acta Psychologica |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001691825004159 |
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| author | Aybora Koç Aleksandar Bulajić Antonino Esposito Thomas Lachmann Cees van Leeuwen |
| author_facet | Aybora Koç Aleksandar Bulajić Antonino Esposito Thomas Lachmann Cees van Leeuwen |
| author_sort | Aybora Koç |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Basic perceptual processes, including perceptual grouping, are subject to bias. Bias for cardinal orientations interferes with Gestalt grouping by proximity in dot lattices. A critical question is whether the bias arises in perceptual encoding or rather is conveyed in a top-down fashion, possibly mediated by visual working memory. Consistent with the latter, the load and content of Visual Working Memory (VWM) modulate the orientation bias strength (Esposito et al., 2023). These authors adopted a design that closely followed the classical dot-lattice studies. This inevitably confounded VWM load and the perceptual complexity of the stimuli stored in VWM. We used a highly simplified design that allows for the separation of VWM and perceptual load effects. The design varies VWM load by introducing an N-back task and uses flanker congruency to independently vary perceptual load. Results suggest that the intrusion of perceptual bias into grouping by proximity depends on VWM load rather than on perceptual load. The results dissociate perceptual orientation bias from psychophysical orientation bias, suggesting that psychophysical models of bias do not generalize to perceptual bias due to the intrusion of systematic top-down effects. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-71fc53b2dd7f4fa49b3a7ba2c60dc1f2 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 0001-6918 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Acta Psychologica |
| spelling | doaj-art-71fc53b2dd7f4fa49b3a7ba2c60dc1f22025-08-20T03:08:18ZengElsevierActa Psychologica0001-69182025-08-0125810510210.1016/j.actpsy.2025.105102Perceptual bias in Gestalt grouping by proximity affected by visual working memory loadAybora Koç0Aleksandar Bulajić1Antonino Esposito2Thomas Lachmann3Cees van Leeuwen4Center for Cognitive Science, University of Kaiserslautern-Landau, Gottlieb-Daimler-Straße, 67663 Kaiserslautern, GermanyCenter for Cognitive Science, University of Kaiserslautern-Landau, Gottlieb-Daimler-Straße, 67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany; Chair of Andragogy, University of Belgrade, Faculty of Philosophy, Čika Ljubina 18-20, 11000 Belgrade, SerbiaDepartment of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, via Ludovico Ariosto, 35-44121 Ferrara, Italy; Center for Translational Neurophysiology of Speech and Communication, Italian Institute of Technology, Via Fossato di Mortara, 17-19, 44121 Ferrara, ItalyCenter for Cognitive Science, University of Kaiserslautern-Landau, Gottlieb-Daimler-Straße, 67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany; Centro de Investigación Nebrija en Cognición (CINC), Universidad Nebrija, Santa Cruz de Marcenado 27, 28015, Madrid, Spain; Brain & Cognition Research Unit, University of Leuven, Tiensestraat 102, 3000 Leuven, BelgiumBrain & Cognition Research Unit, University of Leuven, Tiensestraat 102, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Center for Cognitive Science, University of Kaiserslautern-Landau, Gottlieb-Daimler-Straße, 67663 Kaiserslautern, GermanyBasic perceptual processes, including perceptual grouping, are subject to bias. Bias for cardinal orientations interferes with Gestalt grouping by proximity in dot lattices. A critical question is whether the bias arises in perceptual encoding or rather is conveyed in a top-down fashion, possibly mediated by visual working memory. Consistent with the latter, the load and content of Visual Working Memory (VWM) modulate the orientation bias strength (Esposito et al., 2023). These authors adopted a design that closely followed the classical dot-lattice studies. This inevitably confounded VWM load and the perceptual complexity of the stimuli stored in VWM. We used a highly simplified design that allows for the separation of VWM and perceptual load effects. The design varies VWM load by introducing an N-back task and uses flanker congruency to independently vary perceptual load. Results suggest that the intrusion of perceptual bias into grouping by proximity depends on VWM load rather than on perceptual load. The results dissociate perceptual orientation bias from psychophysical orientation bias, suggesting that psychophysical models of bias do not generalize to perceptual bias due to the intrusion of systematic top-down effects.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001691825004159Cardinal orientation biasPerceptual organizationMid-level perceptionIndividual differencesAdults |
| spellingShingle | Aybora Koç Aleksandar Bulajić Antonino Esposito Thomas Lachmann Cees van Leeuwen Perceptual bias in Gestalt grouping by proximity affected by visual working memory load Acta Psychologica Cardinal orientation bias Perceptual organization Mid-level perception Individual differences Adults |
| title | Perceptual bias in Gestalt grouping by proximity affected by visual working memory load |
| title_full | Perceptual bias in Gestalt grouping by proximity affected by visual working memory load |
| title_fullStr | Perceptual bias in Gestalt grouping by proximity affected by visual working memory load |
| title_full_unstemmed | Perceptual bias in Gestalt grouping by proximity affected by visual working memory load |
| title_short | Perceptual bias in Gestalt grouping by proximity affected by visual working memory load |
| title_sort | perceptual bias in gestalt grouping by proximity affected by visual working memory load |
| topic | Cardinal orientation bias Perceptual organization Mid-level perception Individual differences Adults |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001691825004159 |
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