Viewpoint-invariant and viewpoint-dependent object recognition in dissociable neural subsystems

Participants viewed objects in the central visual field and then named eith er same or different depth-orientation views of these objects presented bri efly in the left or the right visual field. The different-orientation views contained either the same or a different set of parts and relations. Viewp oint-dependent priming was observed when test views were presented directly to the right hemisphere (RH), but not when test views were presented direc tly to the left hemisphere (LH). Moreover, this pattern of results did not depend on whether the same or a different set of parts and relations could be recovered from the different-orientation views. Results support the theo ry that a specific subsystem operates more effectively than an abstract sub system in the RH and stores objects in a manner that produces viewpoint-dep endent effects, whereas an abstract subsystem operates more effectively tha n a specific subsystem in the LH and does not store objects in a viewpoint- dependent manner.