Understanding Depth Perception and Its Cues

Depth perception

The awareness of our 3-D world and the distance between us and other objects.

Monocular cues

Perceptual cues for distance that involve only one eye and are related to how objects are positioned in the environment.

Binocular cues

Cues for determining distance that require two eyes.

Retinal (Binocular) Disparity

There is a larger difference between the separate images provided by each eye when viewing objects that are closer.

Retinal (Binocular) Disparity (Farther)

There is a smaller difference between the separate images provided by each eye when viewing objects that are farther away.

Convergence

More muscle strain is associated with the inward turn of the eyeballs when looking at objects that are closer.

Convergence (Farther)

Less muscle strain is associated with the inward turn of the eyeballs when looking at objects that are farther away.

Relative Size

Objects that are larger compared to others in the visual field are closer.

Relative Size (Farther)

Objects that are smaller compared to others in the visual field are farther away.

Interposition (Overlap)

Objects that block the view of another object are closer.

Interposition (Overlap) (Farther)

Objects being blocked by another object are farther away.

Relative Clarity

Objects that appear distinct within the atmosphere are closer.

Relative Clarity (Farther)

Objects that appear blurry within the atmosphere are farther away.

Texture Gradient

Objects that have a detailed, distinct surface appearance are closer.

Texture Gradient (Farther)

Objects that have a less detailed, indistinct surface appearance are farther away.

Motion Parallax

Objects that are moving in the opposite direction as the observer and appear to be moving faster are closer.

Motion Parallax (Farther)

Objects that are moving in the same direction as the observer and appear to be moving slower are farther away.

Linear Perspective

Objects located away from the point where two parallel lines seem to come together (meet) are closer.

Linear Perspective (Farther)

Objects located near the point where two parallel lines seem to come together (meet) are farther away.

Relative Brightness

Objects that appear bright and reflect a greater amount of light are closer.

Relative Brightness (Farther)

Objects that appear dull and are shadowed are farther away.

Relative Height

Objects located lower in the visual field are closer.

Relative Height (Farther)

Objects located higher in the visual field are farther away.