Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 16, 2026

Measuring Sensitivity to Viewpoint Change with and without Stereoscopic Cues
Published on: December 4, 2013
Orientation dependence in the recognition of familiar and novel views of three-dimensional objects
1Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge 02139.
Abstract:
We report four experiments that investigated the representation of novel three-dimensional (3D) objects by the human visual system. In the first experiment, canonical views were demonstrated for novel objects seen equally often from all test viewpoints. The next two experiments showed that the canonical views persisted under repeated testing, and in the presence of a variety of depth cues, including binocular stereo. The fourth experiment probed the ability of subjects to generalize recognition to unfamiliar views of objects previously seen at a limited range of attitudes. Both mono and stereo conditions yielded the same increase in the error rate with misorientation relative to the training attitude. Taken together, these results support the notion that 3D objects are represented by multiple specific views, possibly augmented by partial viewer-centered 3D information.
Related Concept Videos
The Anchoring-and-Adjustment Heuristic
Support Reactions in Three Dimensions
Ball and Socket Joint is one of the supports allowing free rotation about any axis. This freedom of rotation is...
Depth Perception and Spatial Vision
Gestalt Principles of Perception
Perceptual Constancy
Size constancy is the recognition that an object remains the same size, even when its image on the retina changes. For instance, a bus is perceived to be large enough to carry people, even if it looks tiny from...
Prosopagnosia

