Cite as:
Markovic S, Jankovic D, 2001, "Implicit and explicit features of visual Gestalten" Perception 30 ECVP Abstract Supplement

Implicit and explicit features of visual Gestalten

S Markovic, D Jankovic

A visual Gestalt is composed of explicit (objective) and implicit (subjective) features. For example, both lines / and -- are seen as explicitly still and static, but implicitly line / is seen as more dynamic than line --. In the present study, we tried to specify the basic subjective dimensions of a visual Gestalt (experiment 1), and to specify the relation of these dimensions to the objective (explicit) features (experiment 2). In experiment 1, subjects (N = 384) were asked to judge abstract visual patterns on sixty-five bipolar seven-step scales (adjectives with opposite meaning defined the poles of scales). The stimuli were constructed in order to cover a wide spectrum of visual Gestalten. In factor analysis (principal component method plus Promax rotation) three main factors were obtained: Evaluation, Arousal, and Regularity. In experiment 2 subjects ( N = 68) judged stimuli on these three factors. Stimuli were constructed by systematic variation of complexity, symmetry, compactness, continuation, orientation, curvilinearity, and lightness. Results have shown that basic subjective dimensions were selectively sensitive to different stim- ulus constraints. For example, Evaluation was the most discriminative with respect to lightness and curvilinearity, Arousal to complexity and dispersion, and Regularity was the most sensitive to symmetry and continuation.

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