Evidence relating subjective contours and interpretations involving interposition

Abstract

Subjective contours, according to one theory, outline surfaces that are apparently interposed between the viewer and background (because of the disruption of background figures, sudden termination of lines, and other interposition 'cues') but are not explicitly outlined by intensity discontinuities. This theory predicts that if the cues are not interpreted as evidence of interposition, no intervening surface need be postulated, hence no subjective contours would be seen. This prediction, however, is difficult to test because observers normally interpret the cues as interposition evidence and normally see the subjective contours. Tests are reported on a patient with visual agnosia who is unable to make the usual interposition interpretations and unable to see subjective contours, but has normal ability to interpret standard visual illusions, stereograms, and in particular, stereogram versions of the standard subjective contour figures, which elicit to him strong subjective edges in depth (corresponding to the subjective contours viewed in the monocular versions of the figures.