Orientation and Experience in the Perception of Form: A Study with the Arizona Whale–Kangaroo

When subjects are presented with the Arizona whale–kangaroo, an ambiguous figure, perception of the whale is more common than perception of the kangaroo. However, this difference is smaller in Australian than American subjects. Perception of the kangaroo is more orientation dependent than perception of the whale, which is perceived at all orientations of the stimulus. Together with the difference between subject populations, this effect reveals...