ABSTRACT
One major issue concerning investigations of visual perception is determination of the geometrical properties of visual space. To address this issue, one must determine the relationships between geometrical features of visual space, distance, direction, angle, and size. Consistent evidence indicates that visual angle is a determinant of perceived exocentric distance. Previous evidence suggests that exocentric distance and direction are hierarchically processed, with distance preceding direction. The present study investigated the relationship between the perceptual processing of egocentric direction and exocentric direction using a task that independently provides both perceptual variables in a single judgment. The results indicated that egocentric directions were systematically overestimated, and this was not caused by either the global shape of the layout or leg length effects. Exocentric directions presented a discontinuous pattern of overestimation of smaller angles that were subtended by radial orientations and accuracy of right angles that were subtended by horizontal orientations. This could be explained by the anisotropy of visual space, a well-established phenomenon from visual space studies. The analysis of the association between the processing of these two variables revealed independence between them in which exocentric direction processing did not depend on the processing of egocentric direction processing, and vice versa. The present results and prior evidence converge on the notion of hierarchical processing in which the visual system processes the egocentric distance of objects followed by exocentric distance processing and subsequent processing. The precise positions of egocentric and exocentric directions in this chain of processing remain to be determined.
Subject(s)
Visual PerceptionABSTRACT
Binocular cues were considered the prevailing on specifying depth since the beginning of vision research. In the present study, two perceptual responses, the classical verbal report and a more recent method, open-loop walking, were used to assess the role of binocular information for egocentric distance perception. In two cue conditions environments, full- and reduced-cue, observers judge and walked egocentric distances of stimuli presented at eye-level, under binocular or monocular viewing. Results indicated perceptual constancy for open-loop walking and binocular responses, as well as poor performances under strong degradation on visual information (reduced-cue under strong monocular viewing), thus presenting evidence to support the fundamental role of binocular information on perception of egocentric distances. Besides that, visually directed actions could be adequate measures of perceived distance, with a better reliability than verbal report, since they were quite free of intrusion of inferential processes and perceptual tendencies. In addition, reduced head movements, side-to-side as well as back and forth deflexion movements, could have contributed to a near perfect coupling between binocular disparity information and open-loop walking responses.
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Adolescent , Adult , Psychomotor Performance , Space Perception , Visual Perception , WalkingABSTRACT
Sistemas de referência (frames of reference) são definidos como um locus ou conjunto de loci em relação ao qual as localizações espaciais são determinadas. Os sistemas de referência egocêntricos definem as localizações espaciais em relação ao observador, enquanto que nos sistemas de referência alocêntricos, as localizações são determinadas em relação a loci externos ao observador. Analisamsediversas evidências da utilização destes sistemas de referência pelo sistema visual humano, tanto para tarefas de percepção visual quanto para tarefas de navegação. Hipóteses da dissociação dosistema visual em função destes sistemas de referência são evidenciadas por resultados de estudos neuropsicológicos. O conjunto das evidências experimentais indica uma efetiva interação entre codificações em sistemas de referência egocêntricos e alocêntricos, de modo que os sistemas visual e visomotor introduzem transformações nas coordenadas de um sistema em função de outro, adequando a informação às características das diferentes tarefas.
Frame of reference is a locus or a set of loci in relation to which spatial locations are determined. Egocentrical frames of reference define spatial locations in relation to observer; in allocentricalframes of reference, spatial locations are determined in relation to external loci. Several evidences of usefulness of frames of references to human visual system are analysed, to perceptual tasks as well as navigational tasks. Neuropsychological studies provided empirical support to hypothesis ondissociation of visual system as a function of frames of reference. The whole of experimental evidenceindicates an effective interaction between codings in egocentrical and allocentrical frames of reference,thus visual and visuomotor systems introduce transformations on coordinates of a frame on another,adjusting information to different tasks requirements.
Subject(s)
Humans , Space Perception , Visual PerceptionABSTRACT
Pessoas controlam através da informaçäo visual disponível suas açöes para realizar tarefas com metas específicas. Em uma tarefa do caminhar direto para pontos de evitaçäo visualizados previamente com objetivos de evitar colisäo contra um obstáculo fixo, foram analisados os erros de desvio ou o componentes de locomoçäo, a translaçäo e a rotaçäo. Os erros angulares de desvios foram observados dentro dos limites considerados para uma acurácia da orientaçäo espacial percebida, e produziram componentes da locomoçäo acurados para evitar colisäo. A acurácia foi explicada por dois fatores, a disponibilidade de fontes de informaçöes espaciais e a potência das propriedades da cena, que permitiram aos observadores a construçäo de uma representaçäo visual da cena física, e a manutençäo da orientaçäo espacial durante a locomoçäo para alvos predeterminados de modo seguro a fim de evitar possíveis acidentes de choque contra obstáculos