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Updated: Jul 13, 2026

A Gaze-Contingent Display Framework for Perceptual Learning Research with Simulated Central Vision Loss
Published on: April 11, 2025
Losing sight of the bigger picture: peripheral field loss compresses representations of space
Francesca C Fortenbaugh1, John C Hicks, Lei Hao
1The Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Lions Vision Center, 500 N. Broadway, 6th FL, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
Abstract:
Three experiments examine how the peripheral visual field (PVF) mediates the development of spatial representations. In Experiment 1 participants learned and were tested on statue locations in a virtual environment while their field-of-view (FOV) was restricted to 40 degrees , 20 degrees , 10 degrees , or 0 degrees (diam). As FOV decreased, overall placement errors, estimated distances, and angular offsets increased. Experiment 2 showed large compressions but no effect of FOV for perceptual estimates of statue locations. Experiment 3 showed an association between FOV size and proprioception influence. These results suggest the PVF provides important global spatial information used in the development of spatial representations.
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