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Yildiz GY, Skarbez R, Sperandio I, Chen SJ, Mulder IJ, Chouinard PA. Linear perspective cues have a greater effect on the perceptual rescaling of distant stimuli than textures in the virtual environment. Atten Percept Psychophys 2024; 86:653-665. [PMID: 38182938 DOI: 10.3758/s13414-023-02834-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2024]
Abstract
The presence of pictorial depth cues in virtual environments is important for minimising distortions driven by unnatural viewing conditions (e.g., vergence-accommodation conflict). Our aim was to determine how different pictorial depth cues affect size constancy in virtual environments under binocular and monocular viewing conditions. We systematically removed linear perspective cues and textures of a hallway in a virtual environment. The experiment was performed using the method of constant stimuli. The task required participants to compare the size of 'far' (10 m) and 'near' (5 m) circles displayed inside a virtual environment with one or both or none of the pictorial depth cues. Participants performed the experiment under binocular and monocular viewing conditions while wearing a virtual reality headset. ANOVA revealed that size constancy was greater for both the far and the near circles in the virtual environment with pictorial depth cues compared to the one without cues. However, the effect of linear perspective cues was stronger than textures, especially for the far circle. We found no difference between the binocular and monocular viewing conditions across the different virtual environments. We conclude that linear perspective cues exert a stronger effect than textures on the perceptual rescaling of far stimuli placed in the virtual environment, and that this effect does not vary between binocular and monocular viewing conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gizem Y Yildiz
- Department of Psychology, Counselling, and Therapy, La Trobe University, George Singer Building, Room 460, 75 Kingsbury Drive, Bundoora, Victoria, 3086, Australia
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-3), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich, Germany
| | - Richard Skarbez
- Department of Computer Science and Information Technology, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Irene Sperandio
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, Rovereto, TN, Italy
| | - Sandra J Chen
- Department of Psychology, Counselling, and Therapy, La Trobe University, George Singer Building, Room 460, 75 Kingsbury Drive, Bundoora, Victoria, 3086, Australia
| | - Indiana J Mulder
- Department of Psychology, Counselling, and Therapy, La Trobe University, George Singer Building, Room 460, 75 Kingsbury Drive, Bundoora, Victoria, 3086, Australia
| | - Philippe A Chouinard
- Department of Psychology, Counselling, and Therapy, La Trobe University, George Singer Building, Room 460, 75 Kingsbury Drive, Bundoora, Victoria, 3086, Australia.
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Rzepka AM, Hussey KJ, Maltz MV, Babin K, Wilcox LM, Culham JC. Familiar size affects perception differently in virtual reality and the real world. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20210464. [PMID: 36511414 PMCID: PMC9745877 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The promise of virtual reality (VR) as a tool for perceptual and cognitive research rests on the assumption that perception in virtual environments generalizes to the real world. Here, we conducted two experiments to compare size and distance perception between VR and physical reality (Maltz et al. 2021 J. Vis. 21, 1-18). In experiment 1, we used VR to present dice and Rubik's cubes at their typical sizes or reversed sizes at distances that maintained a constant visual angle. After viewing the stimuli binocularly (to provide vergence and disparity information) or monocularly, participants manually estimated perceived size and distance. Unlike physical reality, where participants relied less on familiar size and more on presented size during binocular versus monocular viewing, in VR participants relied heavily on familiar size regardless of the availability of binocular cues. In experiment 2, we demonstrated that the effects in VR generalized to other stimuli and to a higher quality VR headset. These results suggest that the use of binocular cues and familiar size differs substantially between virtual and physical reality. A deeper understanding of perceptual differences is necessary before assuming that research outcomes from VR will generalize to the real world. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'New approaches to 3D vision'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna M. Rzepka
- Neuroscience Program, University of Western Ontario, Western Interdisciplinary Research Building, London, ON, Canada N6A 3K7
| | - Kieran J. Hussey
- Neuroscience Program, University of Western Ontario, Western Interdisciplinary Research Building, London, ON, Canada N6A 3K7
| | - Margaret V. Maltz
- Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, Western Interdisciplinary Research Building, London, ON, Canada N6A 3K7
| | - Karsten Babin
- Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, Western Interdisciplinary Research Building, London, ON, Canada N6A 3K7
| | - Laurie M. Wilcox
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada M3J 1P3
| | - Jody C. Culham
- Neuroscience Program, University of Western Ontario, Western Interdisciplinary Research Building, London, ON, Canada N6A 3K7,Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, Western Interdisciplinary Research Building, London, ON, Canada N6A 3K7
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Hibbard PB. Virtual Reality for Vision Science. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2023; 65:131-159. [PMID: 36723780 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2023_416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Virtual reality (VR) allows us to create visual stimuli that are both immersive and reactive. VR provides many new opportunities in vision science. In particular, it allows us to present wide field-of-view, immersive visual stimuli; for observers to actively explore the environments that we create; and for us to understand how visual information is used in the control of behaviour. In contrast with traditional psychophysical experiments, VR provides much greater flexibility in creating environments and tasks that are more closely aligned with our everyday experience. These benefits of VR are of particular value in developing our theories of the behavioural goals of the visual system and explaining how visual information is processed to achieve these goals. The use of VR in vision science presents a number of technical challenges, relating to how the available software and hardware limit our ability to accurately specify the visual information that defines our virtual environments and the interpretation of data gathered in experiments with a freely moving observer in a responsive environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul B Hibbard
- Department of Psychology, University of Essex, Colchester, UK.
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