Diagnostic colors mediate scene recognition.

In this research, we aim to ground scene recognition on information other than the identity of component objects. Specifically we seek to understand the structure of color cues that allows the express recognition of scene gists. Using the L*a*b* color space we examined the conditions under which chromatic cues concur with brightness to allow a viewer to recognize scenes at a glance. Using different methods, Experiments 1 and 2 tested the hypothesis that colors do contribute when they are diagnostic (i.e., predictive) of a scene category. Experiment 3 examined the structure of colored cues at different spatial scales that are responsible for the effects of color diagnosticity reported in Experiments 1 and 2. Together, the results suggest that colored blobs at a coarse spatial scale concur with luminance cues to form the relevant spatial layout that mediates express scene recognition.