Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Quantitative Versuche über die Prägnanz von Punktmustern

  • Published:
Psychologische Forschung Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

The intention of the paper is to describe “Prägnanz”-phenomena in terms of information theory. Two different concepts for the application of informational variables to perceptual processes are discriminated. For several reasons, Attneave's concept (1951) is preferred: In the sense of information theory single figures can be treated as signal structures; thus the degree of regularity in them should be specifiable in terms of informational variables.

Two “quasi-informational” parameters are used to describe the degree of regularity in simple dot patterns.

It was expected that perceived figural quality of dot patterns would increase with the “redundancy“ of spatially distributed “messages”. At a constant word-length (= constant number of dots), the quality perceived should be the “better” the lower the entropy (or uncertainty) of the figure.

In several experiments the information measures used turned out to be closely related to different operationally defined response-variables for figural quality, e.g. figural goodness-ratings and exactness of the reproduction of dot-positions. Besides, an inverse relationship is observed between “interestingness”-ratings and redundancy measures.

The results are discussed in terms of information theory and psychological concepts. It is shown, that it has important implications on the psychological theory of perception to regard the human perceiver as an “information-decoding-system”. Apparently there must be some dynamically active system which enables the perceiver to utilize the redundancy of spatial brightness-distributions for sure and quick recognition.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Literatur

  • Allport, G. W.: Change and decay in the memory image. Brit. J. Psychol. 21, 133–148 (1930).

    Google Scholar 

  • Alluisi, E. A.: On the use of information measures in studies of form perception. Perc. Mot. Skills 11, 195–203 (1960).

    Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, N. S., and J. A. Leonard: The recognition, naming and reconstruction of visual figures as a function of contour redundancy. J. exp. Psychol. 56, 262–270 (1958).

    Google Scholar 

  • Archer, E. J.: Identification of visual patterns as a function of information load. J. exp. Psychol. 48, 313–317 (1954).

    Google Scholar 

  • Arnoult, M. D.: Shape discrimination as a function of the angular orientation of the stimuli. J. exp. Psychol. 47, 323–328 (1954).

    Google Scholar 

  • —: Prediction of perceptual responses from structural characteristics of the stimulus. Perc. Mot. Skills 11, 261–268 (1960).

    Google Scholar 

  • Attneave, F.: Some informational aspects of visual perception. Psychol. Rev. 61, 183–193 (1954).

    Google Scholar 

  • —: Symmetry, information and memory for patterns. Amer. J. Psychol. 60, 209–222 (1955).

    Google Scholar 

  • —: Perception of place in a circular field. Amer. J. Psychol. 68, 69–82 (1955b).

    Google Scholar 

  • —: Physical determinants of the judged complexity of shapes. J. exp. Psychol. 53, 221–227 (1957).

    Google Scholar 

  • —: Applications of information theory to psychology. New York: Henry Holt & Co. 1959.

    Google Scholar 

  • —, and M. D. Arnoult: The quantitative study of shape and pattern perception. Psychol. Bull. 53, 457–471 (1956).

    Google Scholar 

  • Battig, W. F.: Interrelationships between measures of association and structural characteristics of nonsense shapes. Perc. Mot. Skills 14, 3–6 (1962).

    Google Scholar 

  • Berlyne, D. E.: Conflict and information theory variables as determinants of human perceptual curiosity. J. exp. Psychol. 53, 399–404 (1957a).

    Google Scholar 

  • —: Uncertainty and conflict: a point of contact between information theory and behavior theory concepts. Psychol. Rev. 64, 329–339 (1957b).

    Google Scholar 

  • —: The influense of complexity and novelty in visual figures on orienting responses. J. exp. Psychol. 55, 289–296 (1958).

    Google Scholar 

  • - Complexity and incongruity variables as determinants of exploratory choice and evaluative ratings. Manuskript. In Vorbereitung für Canad. J. Psychol.

  • Binder, A., and B. R. Wolin: Informational models and their uses. Psychometrika 29, 29–54 (1964).

    Google Scholar 

  • Bricker, P. D.: The identification of redundant stimulus patterns. J. exp. Psychol. 49, 73–81 (1955).

    Google Scholar 

  • Bruner, J. S.: On perceptual readiness. Psychol. Rev. 64, 123–152 (1957).

    Google Scholar 

  • Crumbaugh, J. C.: Temporal changes in the memory of visually perceived form. Amer. J. Psychol. 67, 646–658 (1954).

    Google Scholar 

  • Deese, J.: Complexity of contour in the recognition of visual form. USAF WADC Techn. Rep., No 56–60 (1956).

  • Deutsch, J. A.: A theory of shape recognition. Brit. J. Psychol. 46, 30–42 (1955).

    Google Scholar 

  • Dodwell, P. C.: A coupling system for coding and learning in shape discrimination. Psychol. Rev. 71, 148–159 (1964).

    Google Scholar 

  • Ehrenstein, W.: Einführung in die Ganzheitspsychologie. Leipzig: Johann Ambrosius Barth 1934.

    Google Scholar 

  • —: Probleme der ganzheitspsychologischen Wahrnehmungslehre, 3. Aufl. Leipzig: Johann Ambrosius Barth 1954.

    Google Scholar 

  • Elliot, L. L.: Reliability of judgements of figural complexity. J. exp. Psychol. 56, 335–338 (1958).

    Google Scholar 

  • -, and P. H. Tannenbaum: Factor structure of semantic differential responses to visual forms and prediction of factor scores from structural characteristics of the stimuli. USAF ATC No 62-88 (1961).

  • Fehrer, E. V.: An investigation of the learning of visually perceived forms. Amer. J. Psychol. 47, 187–221 (1935).

    Google Scholar 

  • Fitts, P. M., M. Weinstein, M. Rappaport, N. S. Anderson, and J. A. Leonard: Stimulus correlates of visual pattern recognition. J. exp. Psychol. 51, 1–11 (1956).

    Google Scholar 

  • Galli, P. A., u. W. Hochheimer: Beobachtungen an Nachzeichnungen mehrdeutiger Feldkonturen. Z. Psychol. 132, 304–334 (1934).

    Google Scholar 

  • Garner, W. R.: Uncertainty and structure as psychological concepts. New York and London: John Wiley & Sons 1962.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gibson, J. J.: The reproduction of visually perceived forms. J. exp. Psychol. 12, 1–39 (1929).

    Google Scholar 

  • —, and E. J. Gibson: Perceptual learning: differentiation or enrichment ? Psychol. Rev. 62, 32–41 (1955).

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldstein, A. G.: Familiarity and apparent complexity of random shapes. J. exp. Psychol. 62, 594–597 (1961).

    Google Scholar 

  • Guilford, J. P.: Psychometric methods. New York and London: Mc Graw Hill Book Co. 1936.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hebb, D. O.: Organisation of behavior. New York: John Wiley & Sons 1949.

    Google Scholar 

  • Herrmann, T.: Informationstheoretische Modelle zur Darstellung der kognitiven Ordnung. In: Handbuch der Psychologie, Bd. 1, 2. Halbband, hrsg. v. R. Bergius, S. 641–669. Göttingen: Hogrefe 1964.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hochberg, J. E., H. Gleitmann, and P. D. Macbridge: Visual threshold as a function of simplicity of form. Amer. J. Psychol. 3, 341–342 (1948).

    Google Scholar 

  • —, and E. McAlister: A quantitative approach to figural ‚goodness’. J. exp. Psychol. 46, 361–364 (1953).

    Google Scholar 

  • Köhler, W.: Die physischen Gestalten in Ruhe und im stationären Zustand. Erlangen: Verlag der Philos. Akademie Erlangen 1924.

    Google Scholar 

  • Koffka, K.: Principles of gestalt psychology. New York: Routledge & Kegan Paul 1935.

    Google Scholar 

  • Langer, D.: Informationstheorie und Psychologie. Göttingen: Hogrefe 1962.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lindemann, E.: Experimentelle Untersuchungen über das Entstehen und Vergehen von Gestalten. Psychol. Forsch. 2, 5–60 (1922).

    Google Scholar 

  • Metzger, W.: Psychologie, 3. Aufl. Darmstadt: Dr. Dietrich Steinkopff 1963.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller, G. A., J. S. Bruner, and L. Postman: Familiarity of letter sequences and tachistoscopic identification. J. gen. Psychol. 30, 129–139 (1954).

    Google Scholar 

  • Meyer-Eppler, W.: Grundlagen und Anwendung der Informationstheorie. Berlin-Göttingen-Heidelberg: Springer 1959.

    Google Scholar 

  • Piéron, H.: Quels sont les déterminants de la prégnance perceptive ? Acta psychol. (Amst.) 7, 337–351 (1950).

    Google Scholar 

  • Rappaport, M.: The role of redundancy in the discrimination of visual form. J. exp. Psychol. 53, 3–10 (1957).

    Google Scholar 

  • Rausch, E.: Zur Phänomenologie figural-optischer Dynamik. Psychol. Forsch. 23, 185–222 (1949).

    Google Scholar 

  • —: Das Eigenschaftsproblem in der Gestalttheorie der Wahrnehmung. In: Handbuch der Psychologie, Bd. I/1, hrsg. von W. Metzger, S. 866–953. Göttingen: Hogrefe 1966.

    Google Scholar 

  • Senders, V.: (Editoral). In: H. Quastler (Hrsg.): Information theory in psychology, p. 300ff. Glencoe (Ill.): Free Press 1955.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shannon, C. E.: The mathematical theory of communication. In: C. E. Shannon and W. Weaver: The mathematical theory of communication. Urbana: Illinois. University Press 1949.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sorge, S.: Neue Versuche über die Wiedergabe abstrakter optischer Gebilde. Arch ges. Psychol. 106, 1–88 (1940).

    Google Scholar 

  • Sutherland, N. S.: Shape discrimination and receptive fields. Nature (Lond.) 197, No 4863, 118–122 (1963a).

    Google Scholar 

  • —: Stimulus analysing mechanisms. In: K. M. Sayre, and F. J. Crosson (Hrsg.), The modeling of mind, p. 171–198. Notre Dame (Ind.): Notre Dame University Press 1963b.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vanderplas, G. M., and E. A. Garvin: The association value of random shapes. J. exp. Psychol. 57, 147–154 (1959).

    Google Scholar 

  • Weinstein, M.: Stimulus complexity and the recognition of visual patterns. Diss. Ohio State Univ. 1955.

  • —, and P. M. Fitts: A quantitative study of the role of stimulus complexity in visual pattern discrimination. Amer. Psychologist 9, 490 (1954).

    Google Scholar 

  • Wertheimer, M.: Untersuchungen zur Lehre von der Gestalt II. Psychol. Forsch. 4, 301–350 (1923).

    Google Scholar 

  • Wulf, F.: Über die Veränderung von Vorstellungen (Gedächtnis und Gestalt). Psychol. Forsch. 1, 333–373 (1922).

    Google Scholar 

  • Zusne, L., and K. M. Michels: Geometricity of visual form. Perc. Mot. Skills 14, 147–154 (1962).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Psychologisches Institut der Universität Münster, Deutschland

    Wolfgang Prinz

  2. Psychologisches Institut der Ruhr-Universität, Buscheystr., 463, Bochum

    Wolfgang Prinz

Authors
  1. Wolfgang Prinz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Prinz, W. Quantitative Versuche über die Prägnanz von Punktmustern. Psychol. Forsch. 29, 297–359 (1966). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00421755

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00421755

Search

Navigation