Texture Segmentation and the Familiarity Effect

Texture segmentation performance is usually defined as being data-driven and bottom - up: visual features of the stimulus—like orientation differences between target and background texture elements—are then evaluated automatically. The question investigated in the experiments reported here is: Are there some hints that not only ‘pure visual features’ determine segmentation performance, but other factors like the familiarity of the stimulus material already exert an influence at these early stages of information processing? The familiarity effect is revealed by better performance when detecting an unfamiliar element embedded in familiar elements (eg an inverted letter ‘N’ among correct ‘N's) compared with the familiar element embedded in unfamiliar elements (see, eg, Frith, 1974 Perception & Psychophysics 16 113 – 116).

In a series of experiments, spatial and temporal factors of the stimulus conditions (eg density, jitter, display size, presentation time) have been varied, so as to determine the constraints under which the familiarity effect influences texture-segmentation performance. Results showed that the familiarity of texture elements had a rather strong influence on early visual processes. This influence disappeared only under very restricted display conditions (very short presentation time, very high density). This provides further information on which framing conditions are typical for data-driven early vision processes.