Figure-Ground (Perception)
Figure-Ground (Perception)
Gestalt psychology
The Gestalt theory was founded in the 20th century in Austria and
Germany as a reaction against the associationist and structural
schools' atomistic orientation.[2] In 1912, the Gestalt school was
formed by Max Wertheimer, Wolfgang Köhler, and Kurt Koffka.
The word "gestalt" is a German word translated to English as
"pattern" or "configuration."[3] Gestalt concepts can also be The Rubin vase illusion, where it is
referred to as "holism."[4] Gestalt Psychologists were attempting to ambiguous which part is the figure
humanize what was considered a sterile approach. Gestalt and which the ground
psychology establishes that the whole of anything is greater than its
parts. The concepts explored by Wertheimer, Köhler, and Koffka in
the 20th century established the foundation for the modern study of
perception.[5]
Examples
The Rubin vase faces–vase drawing that Danish psychologist Edgar Rubin described [8][9] exemplifies one
of the key aspects of figure–ground organization, edge-assignment and its effect on shape perception. In the
faces–vase drawing, the perceived shape depends critically on the direction in which the border (edge)
between the black and white regions is assigned. If the edges between the black and white regions are
assigned inward, then the central white region is seen as a vase shape in front of a black background. No
faces are perceived in this case. On the other hand, if the edges are assigned outward, then the two black
profile faces are perceived on a white background, and no vase shape is perceived. The human visual
system will settle on either of the interpretations of the Rubin vase
and alternate between them, a phenomenon known as multistable
perception. Functional brain imaging shows that, when people see
the Rubin image as a face, there is activity in the temporal lobe,
specifically in the face-selective region.[10][11]
Three- to four-month olds respond to differences in lightness rather than differences in form similarity. It is
suggested that scaffolding (the development of new skills over time based on the building of other skills) is
responsible for the development of perceptual organization. Environment plays a major role in the
development of figure-ground perception.[15]
The development of figure–ground perception begins the day the baby can focus on an object. The faces of
caregivers, parents, and familiar objects are the first to be focused on and understood. As babies develop,
they learn to distinguish the objects they desire from their surroundings. Sitting up, crawling, and walking
present ample opportunity to develop the skill during development. Between the ages of 2–4 the skill can be
further cultivated by teaching the child to group or sort items.[16]
Perceptual process
The perceptual decision in which the brain decides which item is the figure and which are part of the
ground in a visual scene can be based on many cues, all of which are of a probabilistic nature. For instance,
size assists in distinguishing between the figure and the ground, as smaller regions are often (but not
always) figures. Object shape can assist in distinguishing figure from ground because figures tend to be
convex. Movement also helps; the figure may be moving against a static environment. Color is also a cue
because the background tends to continue as one color behind potentially multiple foreground figures,
whose colors may vary. Edge assignment also helps; if the edge belongs to the figure, it defines the shape
while the background exists behind the shape. However, it is sometimes difficult to distinguish between the
two because the edge that would separate figure from ground is part of neither, equally defining both the
figure and the background.[17]
The LOC (lateral occipital cortex) is highly important for figure–ground perception. This region of the
visual cortex (located lateral to the fusiform gyrus and extending anteriorly and ventrally) has consistently
shown stronger activation in response to objects versus non-objects."[18][19]
Evidently, the process of distinguishing figure from ground (sometimes called figure–ground segmentation)
is inherently probabilistic, and the best that the brain can do is to take all relevant cues into account to
generate a probabilistic best-guess. In this light, Bayesian figure–ground segmentation models have been
proposed to simulate the probabilistic inference by which the brain may distinguish figure from
ground.[20][21]
Subjective factors can also influence figure–ground perception. For instance, if a viewer has the intention to
perceive one of the two regions as the figure, it will likely alter their ability to analyze the two regions
objectively. In addition, if a viewer's gaze is fixated on a particular region, the viewer is more likely to view
the fixated region as the figure. Although subjective factors can alter the probability of seeing the figure on
one particular side of an edge, they tend not to overpower compositional cues.[22]
Artistic applications
Figure–ground organization is used to help artists and designers in
composition of a 2D piece. Figure–ground reversal may be used as
an intentional visual design technique in which an existing image's
foreground and background colors are purposely swapped to create
new images.
Non-visual
Figure–ground perception can be expanded from visual perception
to include non-visual concepts such as melody/harmony,
subject/background and positive/negative space. The concept of
figure and ground fully depends on the observer and not on the item Figure-ground ambigram tessellation
itself.[23] displaying the words Liar / Jail
alternatively, using negative space.
In the typical sonic scenarios people encounter, auditory figure and
ground signals often overlap in time as well as in frequency content.
In these situations, auditory objects are established by integrating sound components both over time and
frequency.[24] A 2011 study suggests that the auditory system possesses mechanisms that are sensitive to
such cross-frequency and cross-time correlations. Results of this study demonstrated significant activations
in the intraparietal sulcus (IPS) and the superior temporal sulcus related to bottom-up, stimulus-driven
figure–ground decomposition.[25]
In crowded rooms or parties, a person is able to zero in on the conversation they are having with one person
(figure) while drowning out the background noise (ground). This can also be referred to as the "cocktail
party effect."[26]
Figure–ground segregation in hearing is not automatic; rather, it requires attention[27] and draws on
resources that are shared across vision and audition.[28]
See also
Composition (visual arts)
Ma (negative space)
Negative space Type 2: The ground itself is the
White space (visual arts) figure.
References
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External links
Figure Ground (https://www.clockworkgoldfish.com/figureground/), a puzzle game plays on
the figure–ground illusion.