Parallel computation of symmetry but not repetition within single visual shapes

Abstract Visual symmetry is highly salient to human observers. Indeed, Mach (1885) observed that symmetry is more salient than repetition in the contours of a shape. We find that symmetry within a single shape can be detected in parallel, whereas repetition is apparently detected by a serial process. Subjects were required to judge whether a pseudorandom block-shape was symmetrical (Experiment I) or had repeated contours (Experiment 2). When present, these relations arose around either vertical or horizontal axes of elongation, which were unpredictably intermingled. In both cases, symmetry judgements were scarcely affected by the number of discontinuities along the contours to be compared, whereas repetition judgements showed substantial delays when there were more discontinuities. These results are consistent with parallel encoding of a part-description for shapes, in accordance with Hoffman and Richards' (1984) curvature-minima rule.

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