Multidimensional feature interactions in visual crowding: When configural cues eliminate the polarity advantage

• DOI: 10.1167/jov.22.6.2
• Publication Date: 2022-05-03T15:31:56Z
• Authors: Koen Rummens; Bilge Sayim
• Keywords: Crowding; Polarity (international relations); Backward masking

Crowding occurs when surrounding objects (flankers) impair target perception. A key property of crowding is the weaker interference and flankers strongly differ on a given dimension. For instance, identification letter usually superior with opposite versus same contrast polarity as (the "polarity advantage"). High performance target-flanker similarity low has been attributed to ungrouping flankers. Here, we show that configural cues can override usual advantage similarity, strong grouping reduce - instead exacerbate crowding. In Experiment 1, observers were presented line triplets in periphery reported tilt (left or right) central line. Target had (uniform condition) (alternating condition). Flanker configurations either upright (||), unidirectionally tilted (\\ //), bidirectionally (\/ /\). Upright yielded stronger than unidirectional flankers, bidirectional Importantly, our results revealed clear interaction between flanker configuration. Triplets but not showed advantage. Experiments 2 3, emergent features redundancy masking (i.e. reduction number perceived items repeating configurations) made it easier discriminate uniform tilts (but bidirectional). We propose spatial provided sufficient task-relevant information enable similar alternating triplets: strong-target alleviated suggest which modulate strength interact non-additively, limiting validity typical rules contexts where only single, independent dimensions determine effects similarity.