SURFACE COMPLETION COMPLEMENTS BOUNDARY INTERPOLATION IN THE VISUAL INTEGRATION OF PARTLY OCCLUDED OBJECTS

Previous research on perceptual completion has emphasized how the spat ial relationships of edges influence the visual integration of the ima ge fragments that result from partial occlusion. We report studies tes ting the hypothesis that the similarity of surface features also influ ences visual integration, complementing edge interpolation processes. Using displays that separated edge interpolation processes from surfac e-feature interpolation processes, we tested the hypotheses that a sur face completion process integrates image fragments with similar surfac e features, and that surface completion is constrained by amodally int erpolated and amodally extended boundaries. Both edge relatability and surface-feature similarity were manipulated in a series of paired-com parison and classification tasks. The results of these studies support ed the hypotheses and were extended to surface features of colors, tex tures, and color gradients. Results also suggest that, under certain c onditions, surface completion may interact with and influence edge int erpolation.