The relationship between shape perception accuracy and drawing ability

Accurate shape perception is critical for object perception, identification, manipulation, and recreation. Humans are capable of making judgements of both objective (physical) and projective (retinal) shape. Objective judgements benefit from a global approach by incorporating context to overcome the effects of viewing angle on an object’s shape, whereas projective judgements benefit from a local approach to filter out contextual information. Realistic drawing skill requires projective judgements of 3D targets to accurately depict 3D shape on a 2D surface, thus benefiting from a local approach. The current study used a shape perception task that comprehensively tests the effects of context on shape perception, in conjunction with a drawing task and several possible measures of local processing bias, to show that the perceptual basis of drawing skill in neurotypical adults is not due to a local processing bias. Perceptual flexibility, the ability to process local or global information as needed, is discussed as a potential mechanism driving both accurate shape judgements and realistic drawing.