Perceiving spatially inseparable objects: Evidence for feature-eased object selection not mediated by location

In 4 experiments, stimulus elements were arranged into an LED-like array, a nd letters were defined within the array by feature similarity between the elements with respect to color and form. These stimuli allowed the display of a target and a distracter letter simultaneously at the same location. Th ey were spatially inseparable but could be separated in feature space. part icipants had to identify the letter on a prespecified feature dimension (co lor or form). As a result, the distracters produced specific compatibility effects. This showed that nontarget features could. not be ignored at an ea rly stage (i.e., that color and form were processed automatically and in pa rallel up to a high stage). The target was selected from the resulting obje cts according to the prespecified feature dimension. Results demonstrate th at object selection is possible without selecting absolute spatial arrays.