| Abstract: | Examines recent empirical investigations into minimum tendencies (MTs) in the visual perception of form, depth, and motion for purposes of comparison and evaluation, explores the theoretical status of MTs and proposed minimum principles (MPs) using systematic analysis, and considers the chief types of process models proposed to account for minimization. An MT is a psychophysical finding that perception tends toward simplicity, as measured in accordance with a specified metric. An MP is a theoretical construct imputed to the visual system to explain MTs. The notion that simple perceptual representations must be defined within the "geometric constraints" provided by proximal stimulation is examined, as are the metrics of simplicity. It is contended that any study of perceptual economy must use a metric of simplicity; the choice of metric may be seen as a matter of convention or it may have deep theoretical and empirical implications. Several answers to the question of why the visual system might favor economical representations are evaluated. Several accounts of the process for achieving perceptual economy are examined, and it is concluded that those that favor massively parallel processing are the most plausible. (99 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |
