Processing context: Asymmetric interference of visual form and texture in object and scene interactions

Substantive evidence has demonstrated that scene-centered global image features influence the processing of objects embedded in complex visual scenes. Conversely, a growing body of work suggests that relevant object information may inherently influence diagnostic global scene statistics used in rapid scene categorization. Here, we investigate the potential effects of interference in object-scene perception when attending to form and texture in both simple figure-ground representations and more complex object-background scenes. Results reveal asymmetric interference in the perception of form and texture in object and scene processing: Inconsistent scene texture interfered with the classification of object texture, and inconsistent object form interfered with the classification of scene form, but not vice versa. These findings contribute to our understanding of the interactions between an object and its environment, and further inform our knowledge of the visual features which influence interactivity in object and scene perception.

[1]  Jonathan S. Cant,et al.  Scratching Beneath the Surface: New Insights into the Functional Properties of the Lateral Occipital Area and Parahippocampal Place Area , 2011, The Journal of Neuroscience.

[2]  E. Adelson,et al.  Image statistics and the perception of surface qualities , 2007, Nature.

[3]  M. Bar,et al.  Scenes Unseen: The Parahippocampal Cortex Intrinsically Subserves Contextual Associations, Not Scenes or Places Per Se , 2008, The Journal of Neuroscience.

[4]  Jason M Haberman,et al.  The visual system discounts emotional deviants when extracting average expression , 2010, Attention, perception & psychophysics.

[5]  D. Navon.  Forest before trees: The precedence of global features in visual perception , 1977, Cognitive Psychology.

[6]  Jonathan S. Cant,et al.  fMR-adaptation reveals separate processing regions for the perception of form and texture in the human ventral stream , 2008, Experimental Brain Research.

[7]  Edward H. Adelson,et al.  On seeing stuff: the perception of materials by humans and machines , 2001, IS&T/SPIE Electronic Imaging.

[8]  G. Alvarez.  Representing multiple objects as an ensemble enhances visual cognition , 2011, Trends in Cognitive Sciences.

[9]  Jodi L. Davenport.  Consistency effects between objects in scenes , 2007, Memory & cognition.

[10]  Guillaume A. Rousselet,et al.  Early interference of context congruence on object processing in rapid visual categorization of natural scenes. , 2008, Journal of vision.

[11]  J. Henderson,et al.  The effects of semantic consistency on eye movements during complex scene viewing , 1999 .

[12]  tephen E. Palmer.  The effects of contextual scenes on the identification of objects , 1975, Memory & cognition.

[13]  A. Pollatsek,et al.  Identification of objects in scenes: the role of scene background in object naming. , 1992, Journal of experimental psychology. Learning, memory, and cognition.

[14]  Ravi S. Menon,et al.  Behavioral and Neuroimaging Evidence for a Contribution of Color and Texture Information to Scene Classification in a Patient with Visual Form Agnosia , 2004, Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience.

[15]  Nancy Kanwisher,et al.  A cortical representation of the local visual environment , 1998, Nature.

[16]  Antonio Torralba,et al.  Contextual guidance of eye movements and attention in real-world scenes: the role of global features in object search. , 2006, Psychological review.

[17]  P. de Graef,et al.  Perceptual effects of scene context on object identification , 1990, Psychological research.

[18]  Guillaume A. Rousselet,et al.  Processing scene context: Fast categorization and object interference , 2007, Vision Research.

[19]  Jonathan S. Cant,et al.  Cerebral Cortex Advance Access published April 28, 2006 Attention to Form or Surface Properties Modulates Different Regions of Human , 2022 .

[20]  I. Biederman,et al.  Surface versus edge-based determinants of visual recognition , 1988, Cognitive Psychology.

[21]  Jonathan S. Cant,et al.  Independent Processing of Form, Colour, and Texture in Object Perception , 2008, Perception.

[22]  Jodi L. Davenport,et al.  Scene Consistency in Object and Background Perception , 2004, Psychological science.

[23]  Michael L. Mack,et al.  Modeling categorization of scenes containing consistent versus inconsistent objects. , 2010, Journal of vision.

[24]  A. Oliva,et al.  From Blobs to Boundary Edges: Evidence for Time- and Spatial-Scale-Dependent Scene Recognition , 1994 .

[25]  Antonio Torralba,et al.  Building the gist of a scene: the role of global image features in recognition. , 2006, Progress in brain research.

[26]  J. Randall Flanagan,et al.  Representation of Object Weight in Human Ventral Visual Cortex , 2014, Current Biology.

[27]  Paul E. Downing,et al.  Viewpoint-Specific Scene Representations in Human Parahippocampal Cortex , 2003, Neuron.

[28]  Lavanya Sharan,et al.  Image statistics and the perception of surface reflectance , 2005 .

[29]  A. Torralba,et al.  The role of context in object recognition , 2007, Trends in Cognitive Sciences.

[30]  I. Biederman.  Recognition-by-components: a theory of human image understanding. , 1987, Psychological review.

[31]  Jonathan S. Cant,et al.  Object Ensemble Processing in Human Anterior-Medial Ventral Visual Cortex , 2012, The Journal of Neuroscience.

[32]  I. Biederman,et al.  Scene perception: Detecting and judging objects undergoing relational violations , 1982, Cognitive Psychology.

[33]  Jonathan S. Cant,et al.  Living in a material world: how visual cues to material properties affect the way that we lift objects and perceive their weight. , 2009, Journal of neurophysiology.