Position,direction, and their perceptual integrality

Subjects were shown an arrow inside a rectangle and were asked to decide on either its vertical direction (up vs. downl or its height (high vs. low) as quickly as possible. Whenever vertical direction was criterial, height was irrelevant, and vice versa. In four conditions, the irrelevant dimension (1) did not vary, (2) covaried positively with the criterial dimension, up with high and down with low, (3) covaried negatively with the criterial dimension, up with low and down with high, or (4) varied orthogonally with the criterial dimension. Height and vertical direction satisfied one of W. R. Garner’s prerequisites for “integral” dimensions in that Condition 4 took longer than Condition 1. But Condition 2 was faster than 1, and 3 was slower than 1, a pattern unlike those of other known integral dimensions. The positive correlation in Condition 2 facilitates, and the negative correlation in 3 interferes, it is argued, because height and vertical direction have interpretations with components in common or in conflict. This research was supported in part by Grant MH 20021 from the National lnstitute of Mental Health.