In figure–ground organization, the figure is defined as a region that is both “shaped” and “nearer.” Here we test whether changes in task set and instructions can alter the outcome of the cross-border competition between figural priors that underlies figure assignment. Extremal edge (EE), a relative distance prior, has been established as a strong figural prior when the task is to report “which side is nearer?” In three experiments using bipartite stimuli, EEs competed and cooperated with familiar configuration, a shape prior for figure assignment in a “which side is shaped?” task.” Experiment 1 showed small but significant effects of familiar configuration for displays sketching upright familiar objects, although “shaped-side” responses were predominantly determined by EEs. In Experiment 2, instructions regarding the possibility of perceiving familiar shapes were added. Now, although EE remained the dominant prior, the figure was perceived on the familiar-configuration side of the border on a significantly larger percentage of trials across all display types. In Experiment 3, both task set (nearer/shaped) and the presence versus absence of instructions emphasizing that familiar objects might be present were manipulated within subjects. With familiarity thus “primed,” effects of task set emerged when EE and familiar configuration favored opposite sides as figure. Thus, changing instructions can modulate the weighing of figural priors for shape versus distance in figure assignment in a manner that interacts with task set. Moreover, we show that the influence of familiar parts emerges in participants without medial temporal lobe/ perirhinal cortex brain damage when instructions emphasize that familiar objects might be present.

在地物组织中，将地物定义为既“形”又“近”的区域。在这里，我们测试任务集和指令中的更改是否可以更改作为图形分配基础的图形先验之间的跨国竞争结果。当任务是报告“哪一侧更近吗？”时，相对距离先验的极值边缘（EE）已被确定为强图形先验。在使用二分刺激的三个实验中，EE竞争并与熟悉的配置配合使用，即在“哪一侧是形状？”中进行图形分配之前的形状。任务。” 实验1对显示草图熟悉的对象的显示器显示出熟悉的配置产生了很小但重要的影响，尽管“形状侧”响应主要由EE确定。在实验2中，添加了有关感知熟悉形状的可能性的说明。现在，尽管EE仍然是主要的先决条件，但在所有显示类型上进行的试验中，有很大比例的人认为，该数字是在边界的熟悉配置方面看到的。在实验3中，在受试者内部操纵了任务集（接近/形状）以及强调存在熟悉物体的指令的存在与否。如此熟悉“启动”后，当EE和熟悉的配置偏向于图的相对侧时，任务集的效果就出现了。因此，改变指令可以以与任务集交互的方式来调节图形先验的权重，以权衡图形分配中的形状与距离。而且，