What is depth perception? Depth perception is the ability to see objects in three dimensions and judge distance.
What are the two main types of cues for depth perception? The two main types are monocular cues (one eye) and binocular cues (two eyes).
What is retinal disparity? Retinal disparity is the slight difference in the images received by the two retinas due to their different locations, which provides a binocular cue for depth.
What monocular cue occurs when one object partially blocks our view of another? Interposition is the monocular cue where one object partially blocks another.
What is the monocular cue where parallel lines appear to converge in the distance? Linear perspective is the monocular cue where parallel lines appear to converge.
What is perceptual constancy? Perceptual constancy is the tendency to perceive objects as unchanging in size, shape, color, and lightness, even as illumination and retinal images change.
What is an illusion? An illusion is a false or misleading perception, a misperception of a physical stimulus.
What is the name of the famous illusion involving two lines of equal length that appear different? The Müller-Lyer illusion.
How does convergence work as a binocular depth cue? Convergence is a neuromuscular cue where the eyes turn inward to focus on a nearby object. The greater the inward strain, the closer the object is perceived to be.
Explain how relative size acts as a monocular depth cue.
If we assume two objects are the same size, the one that casts a smaller retinal image is perceived as being farther away.
Why is size constancy important for perceiving the world accurately? Size constancy allows us to perceive an object as having a constant size, despite changes in the size of its retinal image due to distance. This prevents us from misjudging the size of objects as we move.
How does motion parallax provide information about depth? When we are moving, objects closer to us seem to move faster and in the opposite direction, while objects farther away seem to move more slowly and in the same direction. This relative speed and direction provide depth cues.
What is the role of the visual cliff experiment in understanding depth perception? The visual cliff experiment demonstrated that human infants and other animals can perceive depth, suggesting that depth perception may be at least partly innate or develop very early.
How does light and shadow contribute to depth perception? The patterns of light and shadow on an object can indicate its shape, contours, and relative distance, giving a three-dimensional quality.
Explain how shape constancy works. We perceive the shape of an object as constant even when the angle from which we view it changes and the shape of the retinal image alters dramatically (e.g., a door opening).
What is selective attention, and why is it important? Selective attention is the focusing of conscious awareness on a particular stimulus. It is important because it allows us to filter out the vast amount of sensory information we receive and focus on what is relevant.
How do the Ponzo and Müller-Lyer illusions trick our perception of size? They use monocular depth cues (like linear perspective in the Ponzo illusion and inward/outward pointing fins in the Müller-Lyer illusion) to create a context that makes our brain misapply size constancy, leading us to perceive identical lines as different lengths.
A artist creates the illusion of depth on a flat canvas by making distant objects hazy. This uses the monocular cue of ________. Atmospheric perspective.
When you are driving, the telephone poles near the road seem to flash by, while the distant mountains seem to move slowly with you. This is an example of ________. Motion Parallax.
A white piece of paper is perceived as white both in bright sunlight and in the shade. This is an example of ________ constancy. Lightness (or brightness) constancy.
A door is perceived as a rectangle even when it is open and the retinal image is a trapezoid. This is an example of ________ constancy. Shape constancy.
In a “magic eye” stereogram, the illusion of depth is created by simulating ________. Retinal Disparity.
The Stroop task, where it is difficult to name the color of the word if the word names a different color, demonstrates the power of ________. Selective Attention (and automatic processing of word meaning).
A person looks at the Müller-Lyer illusion and perceives one line as longer. Which monocular depth cue is being fooled by the “fins”? The fins create an implied depth cue (like an inside or outside corner of a building), which influences our perception of the line’s length based on size constancy.
How does the moon illusion, where the moon looks larger near the horizon than overhead, relate to depth perception cues? When the moon is near the horizon, we perceive it as being behind distant objects (like trees and buildings), so our brain, using size constancy, interprets it as being larger than when it is overhead in an empty sky with no distance cues.
