title: The visual perception of distance ratios outdoors.
abstract: We conducted an experiment to evaluate the ability of 32 younger and older adults to visually perceive distances in an outdoor setting. On any given trial, the observers viewed 2 environmental distances and were required to estimate the distance ratio-the length of the (usually) larger distance relative to that of the shorter. The stimulus distance ratios ranged from 1.0 (the stimulus distances were identical) to 8.0 (1 distance interval was 8.0 times longer than the other). The stimulus distances were presented within a 26 m × 60 m portion of a grassy field. The observers were able to reliably estimate the stimulus distance ratios: The overall Pearson r correlation coefficient relating the judged and actual distance ratios was 0.762. Fifty-eight percent of the variance in the observers' perceived distance ratios could thus be accounted for by variations in the actual stimulus ratios. About half of the observers significantly underestimated the distance ratios, while the judgments of the remainder were essentially accurate. Significant modulatory effects of sex and age occurred, such that the male observers' judgments were the most precise, while those of the older males were the most accurate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological Sciences, Ogden College of Science and Engineering, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, Kentucky, 42101-2030, USA. Farley.Norman@wku.edu.
authors.forename: J Farley
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Norman
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, 47405, USA.
authors.forename: Olivia C
authors.initials: OC
authors.lastname: Adkins
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological Sciences, Ogden College of Science and Engineering, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, Kentucky, 42101-2030, USA.
authors.forename: Catherine J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Dowell
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological Sciences, Ogden College of Science and Engineering, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, Kentucky, 42101-2030, USA.
authors.forename: Lindsey M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Shain
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological Sciences, Ogden College of Science and Engineering, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, Kentucky, 42101-2030, USA.
authors.forename: Stevie C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Hoyng
authors.affiliation: Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science, Bowling Green, Kentucky, 42101-1031, USA.
authors.forename: Jonathan D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Kinnard
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D004215:Distance Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D004777:Environment; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007600:Judgment / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods*; D011897:Random Allocation; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Aging; Spatial vision