Dissociability of Color and Location in the Perception of Symmetry

Abstract

Is symmetry perceived holistically when the symmetry is structured both in terms of color allocation and location configuration of a block-pattern? In Experiment 1, eight college students performed two discrimination tasks. Stimulus patterns were presented tachistoscopically. In one task discrimination was made between symmetric and asymmetric patterns in terms of block locations. In the other task discriminaton was made between symmetric and asymmetric color configurations. In both tasks complexity was varied between two fixed levels. Though stimuli used in these two tasks were identical except for the experimental variables, it was found that both reaction time measures and the patterns of interaction effects between the complexity factor and the discrimination factor suggest dissociability between color and location. Experiment 2, an extended replication of the location task with ten subjects, provided subsidiary evidence supporting the findings above. These results indicate that the color and the location information in symmetry are not processed integrally and holistically.