title: [Pictorial depth perception in central and peripheral visual fields].
abstract: The present study aims to examine whether depth perception based on pictorial cues in the peripheral visual field is improved by compensating for the peripheral reduction of visual sensitivity. Figures that partially overlapped or had apparent transparency over a background figure were presented on a CRT monitor at the central-peripheral retinal regions of 2.5-10 degrees eccentricity under the two conditions of same size or size adjusted for the Cortical Magnification Scale (Virsu & Rovamo, 1979). In Experiment 1 the subjects could discriminate the depth relationship of two cortically magnified figures when these were presented within the retinal eccentricity of 10 degrees, even when solutions for the tasks were not dependent on a single visual attribute (brightness, shape). But discrimination in the peripheral visual field became difficult when the number of visual attributes of the stimuli increased (Experiment 2). We conclude that even for peripheral vision, depth perception based on pictorial cues is possible when cortically magnified stimuli are used. However, it should be further study whether or not the visual acuity is an only determinant for the difference between central and peripheral depth perception.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Humanities and Sciences, Ochanomizu University, Ohtsuka, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 112-8610, Japan. shirama@jcom.home.ne.jp
authors.forename: Aya
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shirama
authors.forename: Toshiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mochizuki
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003463:Cues; D003867:Depth Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology; D014794:Visual Fields; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*