THE VERBAL-LOOP HYPOTHESIS: CONVENTIONAL FIGURE,.

Abstract

A question of continuing practical and theoretical interest is the following: What makes one stimulus simple, well-organized, easy to handle, while another stimulus is complex, poorly-organized, difficult to handle ? The verbal-loop hypothesis answers this question by making a specific and simple assertion concerning the S's use of language and then by spelling out the implications of that assertion.' The answer differs markedly from the answers given by gestalt and information-theory approaches to perceptual organization.