Feature integration across parts in visual search.

In the present study, participants searched for a conjunction of color and orientation either from the same part of an object (same-part display), or from different parts of an object (different-part display). While no difference was found between the two display conditions in single feature searches, conjunction search in the same-part display was significantly faster than that in the different-part display. This same-part advantage applies to both the inner part as well as the outer part of an object. These results suggest that features are more readily integrated if they are from the same part of an object than if they are from different parts of an object. The formation of object part representations thus influences how features are integrated and encoded during visual information processing.