Effect of disparity and viewing distance on perceived depth

Abstract

It is shown that veridical depth perception presupposes the processing of both the magnitude of retinal disparity and observation distance according to a square-law function specified by the underlying geometrical stimulus relations. In the present study, after testing its existence, this constancy of depth perception was investigated by measuring perceived depth as a function of retinal disparity and observation distance. In addition, the relative effectiveness of convergence and accommodation as possible indicators of distance was examined through a conflicting-cues paradigm. It was shown that in the perception of depth the visual system computes distance by taking into account the convergence parameter only, rather than that of accommodation or of both. © 1977 Psychonomic Society, Inc.