The concept of perceptual belongingness was introduced by Benary (1924 Psychologische Forschung 5 131 - 142), observing that lightness perception is not a mere result of local interactions among visual features but depends on their perceptual organisation. For the past 80 years this concept has guided a number of scientists in the investigation of the principles of visual processing [Musatti, 1953 Archivio di Psicologia, Neurologia e Psichiatria 5 544 - 577; Kanizsa, 1979 Organization in Vision: Essays on Gestalt Perception (New York: Praeger/Greenwood Publishing Group); Agostini and Proffitt, 1993 Perception 22 263 - 272; Gilchrist et al, 1999 Psychological Review 10 795 - 834]. Nevertheless, for a long time, this concept has been considered blasphemous as regards the processes underlying contrast, while a similar concept emerged within the feature-binding theory (Treisman and Gelade, 1980 Cognitive Psychology 16 97 - 134) and had a great success. The reverse-contrast cube by Agostini and Galmonte (2002 Psychological Science 13 88 - 92) provided evidence that attentional binding mechanisms are responsible for belongingness and, then, for contrast induction. Therefore, this 80-year old concept provides a much needed framework for the investigation of the causal relationships between the synchronisation of neuronal activity as the prime candidate for the physiological counterpart of belongingness/binding (Singer, 1999 Neuron 24 49 - 65) and the neuronal discharge rates evoked by lightness contrast.
1924-2004: From Benary to the synchronization hypothesis – 80 years of perceptual belongingness
GALMONTE, Alessandra
2004-01-01
Abstract
The concept of perceptual belongingness was introduced by Benary (1924 Psychologische Forschung 5 131 - 142), observing that lightness perception is not a mere result of local interactions among visual features but depends on their perceptual organisation. For the past 80 years this concept has guided a number of scientists in the investigation of the principles of visual processing [Musatti, 1953 Archivio di Psicologia, Neurologia e Psichiatria 5 544 - 577; Kanizsa, 1979 Organization in Vision: Essays on Gestalt Perception (New York: Praeger/Greenwood Publishing Group); Agostini and Proffitt, 1993 Perception 22 263 - 272; Gilchrist et al, 1999 Psychological Review 10 795 - 834]. Nevertheless, for a long time, this concept has been considered blasphemous as regards the processes underlying contrast, while a similar concept emerged within the feature-binding theory (Treisman and Gelade, 1980 Cognitive Psychology 16 97 - 134) and had a great success. The reverse-contrast cube by Agostini and Galmonte (2002 Psychological Science 13 88 - 92) provided evidence that attentional binding mechanisms are responsible for belongingness and, then, for contrast induction. Therefore, this 80-year old concept provides a much needed framework for the investigation of the causal relationships between the synchronisation of neuronal activity as the prime candidate for the physiological counterpart of belongingness/binding (Singer, 1999 Neuron 24 49 - 65) and the neuronal discharge rates evoked by lightness contrast.
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