Perceptual organization and focused attention: The role of objects and proximity in visual processing

Kramer, Arthur F.; Jacobson, Andrew · 1991 · Perception & Psychophysics

DOI: 10.3758/bf03206750

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Summary

This study investigates the debate between space-based and object-based models of visual attention by examining how perceptual organization influences the response-compatibility effect. Space-based models posit that attention is distributed over contiguous regions of visual space, implying that proximity is the primary determinant of processing efficiency. In contrast, object-based models suggest that attention is allocated to perceptual units or objects defined by Gestalt principles such as similarity, closure, and proximity, regardless of spatial distance. The authors aimed to disentangle these factors by manipulating whether targets and distractors were embedded in the same object or different objects while holding spatial proximity constant. The research comprised three experiments using a focused attention task where subjects responded to a central target (dotted or dashed line) while ignoring adjacent distractors. The distractors were either response-compatible or incompatible with the target response. Crucially, the experimental design varied the perceptual grouping of the stimuli. In the "same-object" condition, targets and distractors were linked by common contour and color. In the "different-object" condition, they were separated by distinct contours and colors, even when the spatial distance between them was as small as 0.25 degrees of visual angle. A control condition presented all stimuli in the same color without connecting contours. Subjects' reaction times and accuracy were measured, and separate groups rated the perceived strength of grouping in the displays to validate the perceptual manipulations. The results demonstrated that the response-compatibility effect—the performance cost associated with incompatible distractors—was significantly modulated by object boundaries. When targets and distractors were embedded in the same object, the compatibility effect was largest, with substantial increases in reaction time and decreases in accuracy for incompatible trials. However, when targets and distractors were embedded in different objects, the compatibility effect was eliminated or drastically reduced, even at the closest spatial proximity (0.25 degrees). The effect was of intermediate size in the control condition where grouping was weak. Furthermore, subjective ratings confirmed that participants perceived stronger grouping in the same-object conditions and weaker grouping in the different-object conditions, aligning with the behavioral data. These findings provide strong support for object-based models of attention. The elimination of the response-compatibility effect across object boundaries, despite minimal spatial separation, indicates that attention is not merely distributed over a contiguous spatial area. Instead, perceptual organization plays a critical role in determining the scope of attentional processing. The study concludes that attention operates on perceptual units, and that grouping factors such as contour and similarity can override spatial proximity in controlling visual processing. This challenges space-based models that rely solely on spatial gradients or spotlights, suggesting that the visual system processes information based on organized objects rather than raw spatial coordinates.

Key finding

The response-compatibility effect is significantly reduced or eliminated when targets and distractors are embedded in different perceptual objects, regardless of their spatial proximity.

Methodology

lab_experiment

Sample size: 12

Provenance

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Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified.

Topics

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• visual search