Ghent, L. (1956). Perception of overlapping and embedded figures by children of different ages. American Journal of Psychology, 69, 575-587.

This investigation was concerned with the child's perception of figures that are not completely separated from each other. In the first experiment, a series of overlapping, realistic figures was shown to 99 Ss from 4 to 13 yr. of age. Very nearly all the intended figures were reported, and the number of figures omitted was small even to the youngest group. Omissions decreased with age.

In the second experiment, comparisons were made between realistic and geometric figures, and between overlapping and embedded figures, in a group of 34 children from 4 to 8 yr. of age. For the overlapping figures, both realistic and geometric, the number of omissions was again small even in the youngest group. Significantly more errors were made on the embedded figures than on the overlapping figures. Performance improved with age for all three series of figures.

It was suggested that when a figure was so "hidden" by other forms that the boundaries of the added forms coincided with those of the original figure, the figure would be harder to find than when the boundaries of the added forms intersected with those of the original figure. If there is any validity to such an analysis of the child's difficulty with the embedded figures, then it could be said that the improvement with age reflects an increase in the capacity to perceive a boundary as belonging to more than one figure.