Object memory effects on figure assignment: conscious object recognition is not necessary or sufficient

In three experiments we investigated whether conscious object recognition i s necessary or sufficient for effects of object memories on figure assignme nt. In experiment 1, we examined a brain-damaged participant, AD, whose con scious object recognition is severely impaired. AD's responses about figure assignment do reveal effects from memories of object structure, indicating that conscious object recognition is not necessary for these effects, and identifying the figure-ground test employed here as a new implicit test of access to memories of object structure. In experiments 2 and 3, we tested a second brain-damaged participant, WG, for whom conscious object recognitio n was relatively spared. Nevertheless, effects from memories of object stru cture on figure assignment were not evident in WG's responses about figure assignment in experiment 2, indicating that conscious object recognition is not sufficient for effects of object memories on figure assignment. WG's p erformance sheds light on AD's performance, and has implications for the th eoretical understanding of object memory effects on figure assignment. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.