Major axes as a moderately abstract model for object recognition

These experiments provide evidence that the major axes of an object's components can activate a moderately abstract model that is used during recognition. Major-axis primes were presented immediately before target airplanes; the total stimulus durations were about 220 ms. Major axes facilitated identification accuracy relative to primes controlling for attention and for a general reference frame. In addition, axis primes facilitated identification with incongruently oriented targets and across small shifts in the target's spatial position. The configuration of the axes was crucial because facilitation did not occur with primes containing similar elements in a different relationship.