Examining Edge- and Region-Based Texture Analysis Mechanisms
Vision Research, 38(3), 439-446
reprint (pdf 750K)
Instantaneous texture discrimination was examined for different texture
stimuli to uncover the use of edge-based and
texture analysis mechanisms. Textures were composed of randomly placed,
short, oriented line segments. Line segment orientation was chosen
randomly using a Gaussian distribution (described by a mean and standard
deviation). One such distribution determined the orientations on the
left side of the image, and a second distribution was used for the right
side. The two textures either abutted to form an edge or were
separated by a blank region. A texture difference in mean
orientation led to superior discrimination performance when the texture
abutted. On the other hand, when the textures differed in the standard
deviation of the orientation distribution, performance was similar in the
two conditions. These results suggest that edge-based texture analysis
mechanisms were used (i.e. were the most sensitive) in the abutting
difference-in-mean case, but region-based texture analysis
mechanisms were used in the other three cases.
Supported in part by NIH grant EY08266.