Perception of object unity in a chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes)

Author(s): Kanazawa, S., Fujita, K.

Journal/Book: Jpn Psychol Res. 1997; 39: 108 Cowley Rd, Oxford, Oxon, England OX4 1JF. Blackwell Publ Ltd. 191-199.

Abstract: Perception of object unity was studied in an 18-year-old female chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) using a two-choice delayed matching-to-sample task. The subject was trained with two rod-shaped figures which were exactly identical except that one of them had a small gap at its center. After mastering this baseline task, she was shown the figure with its center occluded by a colored rectangle. We examined the perception of the subject's matching response on either the complete or the broken rod to investigate how she perceived these partly invisible figures. In four separate experiments, the alignment and the movement of the portions above and below the occluding rectangle were manipulated. She matched the partly occluded stimuli to the complete rod as long as the alignment was sufficient. The results suggest that like human adults, the chimpanzee can perceive unity of physically separated figures.

Note: Article Sato A, Kyoto Univ, Primate Res Inst, Dept Behav & Brain Sci, Sect Language & Intelligence, Inuyama, Aichi 484, JAPAN

Keyword(s): visual perception; object unity; occlusion; perceptual completion; chimpanzee; PARTLY OCCLUDED OBJECTS; HUMANS HOMO-SAPIENS; INFANTS PERCEPTION; YOUNG INFANTS; MOTION; DEPTH

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