Apparent Size as a Function of Vertical Gaze Direction: New Tests of an Old Hypothesis

The hypothesis was tested that the decline of apparent size with elevated gaze results from a latent tendency of the eyes to diverge and thus increased vergence effort. Through the use of a method of category estimation, the decline of apparent size on elevation or depression of gaze was found not t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of experimental psychology. Human perception and performance 1991-02, Vol.17 (1), p.232-245
Main Authors: Heuer, Herbert, Wischmeyer, Erhard, Brüwer, Michael, Römer, Thomas
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Apparent Size
Attention
Biological and medical sciences
Convergence, Ocular
Depth Perception
Distance Perception
Eye Fixation
Eyes & eyesight
Female
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Human
Humans
Hypothesis Testing
Male
Optical Illusions
Orientation
Perception
Perceptions
Psychology
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Psychophysics
Size Perception
Social research
Vision
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Summary:The hypothesis was tested that the decline of apparent size with elevated gaze results from a latent tendency of the eyes to diverge and thus increased vergence effort. Through the use of a method of category estimation, the decline of apparent size on elevation or depression of gaze was found not to be different between subjects with larger or smaller changes of dark vergence and thus vergence effort. In a 2nd experiment, vergence effort was varied by varying gaze elevation and the angle of convergence. With vergence effort constant, apparent size was dependent on the angle of convergence rather than being constant. It is concluded that apparent size does not depend on vergence effort and that the effect of gaze elevation on apparent size cannot be attributed to its concomitant effect on dark vergence.
ISSN:0096-1523
1939-1277
DOI:10.1037/0096-1523.17.1.232