What is the Meaning of Shape? - Gestalt Theory

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GESTALT THEORY, Vol. 33, No.3/4 Phenomenological task: The task of the subjects was to report spontaneously what they perceived by providing a complete description of the main visual property. The descriptions were provided by at least 10 out of 12 subjects and were reported concisely within the main text to aid the reader in the stream of argumentations. The descriptions were judged by three graduate students of linguistics, naive as to the hypotheses, to get a fair representation of the ones given by the observers. Subjects were allowed to make free comparisons, confrontations, afterthoughts, to see in different ways, distance, etc.; to match the stimulus with every other one. Variations and possible comparisons occurring during the free exploration were noted down by the experimenter. The selection of the stimuli with opposite conditions and controls and the possible comparisons among the stimuli prevent the problem of generating biased experiences. This is clearly shown by the differences in the results (see next sections). Scaling task: The subjects were instructed to rate (in percent) the descriptions of the specific attribute obtained in the phenomenological experiments. New groups of 12 subjects were instructed to scale the relative strength or salience (in percent) of the descriptions of the phenomenological task: “please rate whether this statement is an accurate reflection of your perception of the stimulus, on a scale from 100 (perfect agreement) to 0 (complete disagreement)”. Throughout the text we reported descriptions whose mean ratings were greater than 80. As concerns these tasks and procedure see Pinna, (2010a, b; Pinna & Albertazzi, 2011; Pinna & Sirigu, in press; Pinna & Reeves, 2009). 3. Squares, Rotated Square and Diamonds 3.1. Non-Square Shapes that Appear Like Squares Shape illusions are only apparently in contrast with the properties previously described: unambiguous identification, constancy, uniqueness and veridicality. These illusions are, in fact, considered to be exceptions visible under specific and rare conditions and, thus, ineffective for real life. The strong shape illusion, illustrated in Fig. 1a, was described like a large square with concave and convex sides. This description reveals a “distortion” that does not change the basic meaning of the square shape. In fact, the main shape even if distorted is still perceived like a square. Moreover, paradoxically the distortion reinforces and strengthens the perception of the square. In fact, the square is amodally seen as the whole shape supporting the perceived distortion. Conversely, the distortion is what elicits the amodal wholeness of the square (see Pinna, 2010b). This kind of phenomenal dynamics also occurs when the perceived distortion is not illusory but “real”, as shown in Fig. 1b. 386
Fig. 1 Non-square shapes that appear like squares ! 387 Pinna, What is the Meaning of Shape? # $ % & ) In more intense conditions in terms of distortion (see Figs. 1c-i), where the square and its sides or angles appear beveled, broken, crashed, gnawed, deliquescing, deformed, protruding, the main shape is again perceived as a square, while those specific descriptions reveal what happens to each square. They appear like “happenings” of a square (Pinna, 2010b; Pinna & Albertazzi, 2011). These changes and happenings can be seen as depending on or related to specific and !"#$%&'()''!"#$%#&'(#$$" *(!+,'-,+(%,.%!/'/),0&,-(!1%2 ( “invisible” but perceptible causes affecting the shape and the material properties of the square. They add visual meanings but do not really change the shape of the square, which is perceived like the amodal invariant shape supporting all those happenings (see also section 5.6). From a geometrical point of view, these are non-square shapes that appear like squares. These results suggest the following questions: Why do we perceive a square plus a happening in each of these cases, instead of a set of irregular shapes, one different from the other? What is the role of the happening and of other possible shape ' "
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