Context effect is the aspect of cognitive psychology that describes the influence of environmental factors on one's perception of a stimulus. The concept is supported by the theoretical approach to perception known as constructive perception. This top-down theory indicates cognitive use of sensory information to construct a completed perception and works in opposition to bottom-up approaches.
Context effects can come in several forms, including configural superiority effect which demonstrates varying degrees of spatial recognition depending on if stimuli are present in an organized configuration or present in isolation.[1] For example, one may recognize a fully composed object faster than its individual parts (object-superiority effect).