Relevance of nearness or proximity of lines in the perception of objects

Abstract

A study by Egon Brunswik and Joe Kamiya was partially replicated to test if "nearness" of parallel lines for mechanical units is closer than for open passages. In contrast to Brunswik and Kamiya's study, a representative sample of actual life situations was taken and the distances between parallel lines on five enlarged photographs were measured. It was found that the mean distance of parallel lines for mechanical units was smaller than the mean distance of parallel lines for passages. Brunswik and Kamiya's original hypothesis was supported: The organism might learn to discriminate between objects and open spaces because the mean distances between boundaries of objects are smaller than those of open spaces.