Summary
Binocular rivalry was generated by projecting dissimilar Julesz-type patterns to each eye. The minimum angular width of the patterns needed to observe rivalry was measured at four retinal eccentricities for two simulated viewing distances: 200 and 20 cm. The angular width needed to just detect rivalry was up to 50% greater for the 20 cm viewing distance as compared with the threshold width measured at 200 cm. This increased tolerance for rivalry for near fixation was inversely proportional to the change in apparent size. The results suggest that the lateral geniculate nucleus is the site of size-scaling or “zooming”.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Amigo, G.: Variation of stereoscopic acuity with observation distance. J. opt. Soc. Amer. 53, 630–635 (1963).
Aubert, H.: Physiologie der Netzhaut, Raum und Ortsinn III, S. 235–251. Breslau: Morgenstern 1865.
Biedermann, H.: Untersuchungen über die Sehschärfe beim Nahsehen. Z. ophthal. Opt. 16, 34–45 (1927).
Bizzi, E.: Discharge patterns of single geniculate neurons during rapid eye movements of sleep. J. Neurophysiol. 29, 1087–1095 (1966).
Campbell, F. W.: Depth of field of the human eye. Optica Acta 4, 157–164 (1957).
Charman, W. N., Watrasiewicz, B. M.: Mach effect associated with microscope images. J. opt. Soc. Amer. 54, 791–795 (1964).
DePalma, J. J., Lowry, E. M.: Sinne-wave response of the visual system. II. J. opt. Soc. Amer. 52, 328–335 (1962).
Feldman, M., Cohen, B.: Electrical activity in the lateral geniculate body of the alert monkey associated with eye movements. J. Neurophysiol. 31, 455–466 (1968).
Foley, J. M.: Disparity increase with convergence for constant perceptual criteria. Percept. & Psychophys. 2, 605–608 (1967).
Freeman, E.: Anomalies of visual acuity in relation to stimulus distance. J. opt. Soc. Amer. 22, 285–292 (1932).
Harvey, L. O., Jr.: Critical flicker frequency as a function of viewing distance, stimulus size and luminance. Vision Res. (in press).
Harvey, L. O., Leibowitz, H. W.: Effects of exposure duration, cue reduction, and temporary monocularity on size matching at short distance. J. opt. Soc. Amer. 57, 249–253 (1967).
Heinemann, E. G., Tulving, E., Nachmias, J.: The effect of oculomotor adjustments on apparent size. Amer. J. Psychol. 72, 32–45 (1959).
Helmholtz, H. von: Helmholtz's treatise on physiological optics (1910), edit. by J. P. C. Southall, vol. 3, p. 312–313, 388–389. New York: Dover 1962.
Hoefer, P.: Beiträge zur Lehre vom Augenmaß bei zweiäugigem und bei einäugigem Sehen. Arch. ges. Physiol. 115, 483–513 (1906).
Holst, E. von: Die Beteiligung von Konverenz und Akkommodation an der wahrgenommenen Grozzenkonstanz. Naturwissenschaften 42, 444–445 (1955).
Holway, A. H., Boring, E. G.: Determinants of apparent visual size with distance variant. Amer. J. Psychol. 54, 21–37 (1941).
Hubel, D. H., Wiesel, T. N.: Receptive fields and functional architecture of monkey striate cortex. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 115, 215–243 (1968).
Julesz, B.: Stereopsis and binocular rivalry of contours. J. opt. Soc. Amer. 53, 994–999 (1963).
- Processing of optical data by organisms and by machines. Proceedings of the Internat. School of Physics “Enrico Fermi”, Course XLIII, Varenna, Italy, July 15–27 (1968).
Kaufman, L.: On the spread of suppression and binocular rivalry. Vision Res. 3, 401–415 (1963).
Leibowitz, H., Moore, D.: Role of changes in accommodation and convergence in the perception of size. J. opt. Soc. Amer. 56, 1120–1123 (1966).
Levelt, W. J. M.: On binocular rivalry. Inst. for Perception RVO-TNO, Soesterberg, The Netherlands (1965).
Luckiesh, M., Moss, F. K.: The variation of visual acuity with fixation distance. J. opt. Soc. Amer. 31, 594–595 (1941).
Marg, E., Adams, J. E., Rutkin, B.: Receptive fields of cells in the human visual cortex. Experienta (Basel) 24, 347–349 (1968).
McCready, D. W.: Size-distance perception and accommodation — convergence micropsia — a critique. Vision Res. 5, 189–206 (1965).
Ogle, K. N.: Researches in binocular vision, p. 48, 91 and 229. New York: Hafner (2nd edit., 1964) 1950.
—: Peripheral contrast thresholds and blurring of the retinal image for a point light source. J. opt. Soc. Amer. 51, 1265–1268 (1961).
Polyak, S.: The vertebrate visual system, edit. by H. Kluver. Chicago: Chicago Univ. Press 1957.
Richards, W.: Apparent modifiability of receptive fields during accommodation and convergence and a model for size constancy. Neuropsychologia 5, 63–72 (1967).
—: Spatial remapping in the primate visual system. Kybernetik 4, 146–156 (1968).
Sutherland, N. S.: Figural after-effects and apparent size. Quart. J. exp. Psychol. 13, 222–228 (1961).
Wheatstone, C.: Contributions to the physiology of vision. II. Phil. Trans., Part I, 142, 1–18 (1852).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Supported by the U. S. Air Force under contract No. AFOSR-F44620-67-C0085, with supplementary funding to Prof. H.-L. Teuber, Chairman, from NASA and NIMH under grants NsG 496 and MH 05673.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Richards, W. Oculomotor effects upon binocular rivalry. Psychol. Forsch. 33, 136–154 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00424981
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00424981