Document Detail


Change in perceived spatial directions due to context.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  10909243     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
We examined the influence of context on exocentric pointing. In a virtual three-dimensional set-up, we asked our subjects to aim a pointer toward a target in two conditions. The target and the pointer were visible alone, or they were visible with planes through each of them. The planes consisted of a regular grid of horizontal and vertical lines. The presence of the planes had a significant influence on the indicated direction. These changes in indicated direction depended systematically on the orientation of the planes relative to the subject and on the angle between the planes. When the orientation of the (perpendicular) planes varied from asymmetrical to symmetrical to the frontoparallel plane, the indicated direction varied over a range of 15 degrees--from a slightly larger slant to a smaller slant--as compared with the condition without the contextual planes. When the dihedral angle between the two planes varied from 90 degrees to 40 degrees, the indicated direction varied over a range of less than 5 degrees: A smaller angle led to a slightly larger slant. The standard deviations in the indicated directions (about 3 degrees) did not change systematically. The additional structure provided by the planes did not lead to more consistent pointing. The systematic changes in the indicated direction contradict all theories that assume that the perceived distance between any two given points is independent of whatever else is present in the visual field--that is, they contradict all theories of visual space that assume that its geometry is independent of its contents (e.g., Gilinsky, 1951; Luneburg, 1947; Wagner, 1985).
Authors:
N Schoumans; J J Koenderink; A M Kappers
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Perception & psychophysics     Volume:  62     ISSN:  0031-5117     ISO Abbreviation:  Percept Psychophys     Publication Date:  2000 Apr 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2000-09-19     Completed Date:  2000-09-19     Revised Date:  2004-11-17    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  0200445     Medline TA:  Percept Psychophys     Country:  UNITED STATES    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  532-9     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands.
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Adult
Depth Perception*
Discrimination Learning
Female
Field Dependence-Independence*
Humans
Male
Optical Illusions*
Orientation*
Pattern Recognition, Visual
Psychomotor Performance*
Psychophysics

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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