3D after-effects are due to shape and not disparity adaptation

There are a variety of stereoscopic after-effects in which exposure to a stimulus with a particular slant or curvature affects the perceived slant or curvature of a subsequently presented stimulus. These after-effects have been explained as a consequence of fatigue (a decrease in responsiveness) among neural mechanisms that are tuned to particular disparities or patterns of disparity. In fact, a given disparity pattern is consistent with numerous slants or curvatures; to determine slant or curvature, the visual system must take the viewing distance into account. We took advantage of this property to examine whether the mechanisms underlying the stereoscopic curvature after-effect are tuned to particular disparity patterns or to some other property such as surface curvature. The results clearly support the second hypothesis. Thus, 3D after-effects appear to be caused by adaptation among mechanisms specifying surface shape rather than among mechanisms signaling the disparity pattern.