Objective constraints of figural goodness

The effects of uniformity, compactness and symmetry on pattern goodness estimates were evaluated in three experiments. Ss were asked to choose the pattern which looks the best in respect to other patterns from given set. Patterns within sets differed from each other in uniformity (Experiment 1), compactness (Experiment 2) and symmetry (Experiment 3). Regression analyses indicated that symmetry was a single good predictor of the frequency of good pattern choice. This result is connected with Koffka's concept of perceptual economy: uniformity and compactness have perceptual advantages in the restricted situations (low energy disposal), while symmetry prevails in unrestricted conditions (high energy disposal).

Effects of Pattern Orientation and Number of Symmetry Axes on the Detection of Mirror Symmetry in Dot and Solid Patterns

It has been postulated that as the number of axes of symmetry in a pattern increases, so pattern ‘goodness’ increases. Recently, a distinction was made between two different theoretical accounts of regularity or ‘goodness’ in relation to patterns with mirror symmetry: the ‘transformational’ and the ‘holographic’ models. It was argued that the former predicts a ‘goodness’ ordering of four > three > two > one whereas the latter predicts four > two > three > one, where ‘>’ means greater regularity or goodness. In three experiments, we have tested these predictions. In experiment 1, we measured percentage correct and reaction time to dot patterns which had one, two, three, or four axes of symmetry and were flashed for 150 ms. Experiment 2 was identical except that patterns were presented for 2000 ms. In experiment 3, dot patterns were replaced by solid shapes which also had one, two, three, or four axes of symmetry. Although it was found that stimuli with four axes clearly allowed superior performance to that of stimuli with one axis, results obtained with stimuli with two and three axes were almost identical and in between those obtained with one and four axes. The data thus support the suggestion that extra axes add ‘goodness’ to symmetrical patterns but not in a monotonic fashion.

The Informational Basis of Motion Coherence

Observers judged the motion coherence of randomdot cinematograms Theoretical models were developed for coherence matches between cinematograms constructed from different angle distributions Evidence is presented that coherence matches are made on the basis of the Shannon-Wiener information entropy We show how the formal structure of information theory may be used to predict perceived pattern goodness when the underlying distributions of pattern alternatives are implicit in the judgment task

The Temporal Course of Visual Pattern Encoding: Effects of Pattern Goodness

Subjects typically display superior reproduction of good (redundant, symmetrical) visual patterns compared with poor ones. This pattern goodness effect could conceivably involve encoding processes, short-term memory processes, or response processes. The present experiments explored the time course of wholistic encoding of Garner dot patterns as a function of tachistoscopic exposure time, delay of backward masking, and post-mask shadowing. Within the specific framework of additive factors theory, Experiment I showed: (a) equal rates of encoding for all patterns since comparable slopes were obtained for the recall X processing time functions; and (b) superior absolute recall for good patterns since different intercepts were obtained. Experiment II demonstrated that when degree of encoding was initially equalized for all patterns, the rate of extraction of further information remained constant over available processing time and was unaffected by pattern goodness, slopes and intercepts for good versus poor patterns then being equal. Experiment III confirmed that, given some fixed duration of available processing time, information is abstracted at the same rate for all pattern regardless of the ratio stimulus display time to delay of mask onset. Experiment IV indicated that maintenance rehearsal normally occurs in the present experimental situation, and that very good patterns are somewhat less disrupted by shadowing over a three-second interval. While STM is thus implicated in the pattern goodness effect it does not follow that STM constitutes a complete explanation of the intercept differences reported here. Empirical evidence of response bias toward production of good patterns, however, was not found. It was shown that very good patterns are highly familiar and nameable, and proposed that they do consequently have an early encoding advantage.

Correlational Structure as a Determinant of Goodness of Complex Patterns

The stimulus sets used by Whitman and Garner (1962) to study the effect of form of redundancy on free-recall learning were arranged in 3 × 3 configurations to form single patterns. Various spatial arrangements of the 9 figures in each of the 3 sets tested several questions regarding judged goodness of form. Rating of goodness of form on a 7-point scale were made by 32 college students. Patterns composed of elements which have correlated structure in the form of simple contingencies, and which Whitman and Garner found were easily learned in free recall, are good; patterns composed of elements which have correlational structure in the form of complex interactions, and which Whitman and Garner found were extremely difficult to learn, are not. Uncertainty calculated for spatial position using 2-dimensional Cartesian coordinates as variables does not appear to be associated with pattern goodness. However, spatial arrangements of the elements exert a very strong effect on pattern goodness.