PRIMING SPATIAL LAYOUT OF SCENES

Observers responded to full-color images of scenes by indicating which of two critical objects was closer in the pictorial space. These targ et images were preceded by prime images of the same scene sans critica l objects, or by control primes or different-scene primes. Reaction ti mes were faster following same-scene primes than following the various control and different-scene primes. Same-scene facilitation was obtai ned with color primes, line-drawing primes, and primes with shifted vi ews. The effect occurred with natural scenes having gist and simple ar tificial scenes having little or,to gist. The results indicate that pr ime-induced representations influence the perception of spatial layout in pictures.