PSYC 2220 Lecture Notes - Depth Perception, The Technique, Visual Angle

• School: York University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 2220
• Professor: Jennifer Steeves

Document Summary

Were it not for our own personal experiences, it would be temping to conclude that the visual perception of 3d shape is mathematical impossibility (todd, Euclidian geometry: parallel lines remain parallel as they are extended in space. If one subtends a larger visual angle on the retina than the other, the object which subtends the larger visual angle appears closer: familiar size: a cue based on knowledge of the typical size of objects. Since the visual angle of an object projected onto the retina decreases with distance, this information can be combined with previous knowledge of the object"s size to determine the absolute depth of the object. For example, people are generally familiar with the size of an average automobile. This prior knowledge can be combined with information about the angle it subtends on the retina to determine the absolute depth of an automobile in a scene. Reading a book focus on farther objects: e. g.