Depth Distortions in Binocular Fields

Abstract

The introduction of misleading size cues between binocularly presented objects can result in a distortion of the binocular visual field. The effect of this primary distortion upon the perceived depth of extraneous objects (objects not used in generating the primary distortion) was studied when both the primary distortion and the extraneous objects involved vertical separations. It was found that the perceived depth between the extraneous objects (the secondary distortion) was affected by the presence of the primary distortion. From the present and previous studies it can be concluded that the secondary distortion is directly related to the primary distortion for either horizontal or vertical separations of the objects in both the distortions. This result is discussed as an example of the “adjacency principle.”