ABSTRACT

Perceptual organization lies on the border between our experience of the world and unconscious perceptual processing. It is difficult to study because it involves both bottom-up and top-down processes and because it is-like respiration-a semivoluntary process. For example, when we first glance at a Necker cube, we usually see a cube below eye level. Over this response we have no control; it is spontaneous and automatic. But as soon as we have seen the cube reverse, we seem to have some control over our interpretation of the drawing.