Gestalt similarity principle,difference thresholds and pattern discriminability

Perceptual grouping within a visual array has been studied as a function of the difference limen between elements composing the array. Two experiments are reported in which the array elements differed in size or in shape. Although there is a relationship between perceptual emergence and amount of difference between elements of the display as expected, there was clear evidence that above threshold differences between elements could not be used to predict the emergence of a pattern hidden in the visual array.