DEPTH PERCEPTION

COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY
- PRABHAAKAR
INTRODUCTION
 Depth perception is the ability to see things in three dimensions (including length,
width and depth), and to judge how far away an object is.
CUES
 To transform two-dimensional retinal images into three-dimensional perceptions we
use

I. BINOCULAR CUES

II. MONOCULAR CUES

BINOCULAR CUES
 Our eyes are about 2(1/2) inches apart, our retinas receive slightly different images
of the world.

 RETINAL DISPARITY

 CONVERGENCE – A muscular cue that indicates the extent to which the eyes turn
inward when we look at an object.
MONOCULAR CUES
 Monocular cues refer to the ways that each of your eyes takes in visual information
that's used to judge: distance. depth. three-dimensional space.

I. RELATIVE SIZE – If we assume that two objects are similar in size , we perceive the
one that casts the smaller image on the retina as farther away.

II. OVERLAP – If one object partially covers another, we perceive it as closer.

III. AERIAL PERSPECTIVE – We perceive hazy objects as farther away than sharp,
clear objects.
 TEXTURE GRADIENT - We perceive a gradual change from a coarse , distinct texture
to a fine, distinct texture to a fine, indistinct texture as a sign of increasing distance. Our
visual system automatically reads the receding surface as distance.

 RELATIVE HEIGHT - Relative Height is a concept used in visual and artistic

perspective where distant objects are seen or portrayed as being smaller and higher in
relation to items that are closer. This phenomenon can be seen when looking at a
landscape and seeing that distant objects - trees, rocks, animals, etc.,

 RELATIVE MOTION - Monocular cues provide depth information when viewing a

scene with one eye. When an observer moves, the apparent relative motion of several
stationary objects against a background gives hints about their relative distance.
 LINEAR PERSPECTIVE - We interpret the apparent convergence of parallel lines as a
clue to distance. The more they converge the greater the perceived distance. Linear
perspective can contribute to rail-crossing accidents by leading people to overestimate a
train’s distance.

 RELATIVE BRIGHTNESS – Nearby objects reflect more light to our eyes.

REFERENCE
 PSYCHOLOGY – DAVID G MYERS
THANK YOU