Reflected light contains information about the spatial structure of the physical world at many levels. Recent perceptual research has indicated that the human visual system makes use of this information in image interpretation. Two experiments examined the role of spatial scale in the detection and recognition of simple visual images. Results indicate that information at a gross spatial scale (low spatial frequency) is particularly important for detection, whereas information at a fine spatial scale (high spatial frequency) is more significant for recognition. Some practial implications of these findings are noted.
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