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Can People Infer Distance in a 2D Scene Using the Visual Size and Position of an Object?
John Jong-Jin Kim1, Laurence R Harris1,2
1Centre for Vision Research, York University, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3, Canada.
Vision (Basel, Switzerland)
|June 1, 2022
Summary
People struggle to accurately judge object distance in 2D scenes using size and position cues alone. Familiar objects impact perceived distance more than perceived size, suggesting independent perception processes.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Computer Vision
- Human-Computer Interaction
Background:
- 2D scenes lack inherent depth information, requiring reliance on pictorial cues like perspective and elevation.
- Understanding how humans perceive distance in 2D environments is crucial for fields like virtual reality and image analysis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if visual size and position relative to the horizon in a 2D scene can reliably indicate object distance.
- To determine if familiar objects influence perceived size and distance differently.
Main Methods:
- Online experiments involving participants adjusting a smartphone target's size or position within a 2D scene.
- Two conditions: adjusting position based on size, and adjusting size based on position.
Main Results:
- Adjusted sizes and positions often differed from initial presentations, with targets becoming larger and appearing further away on average.
- Familiar objects affected adjusted position (from size) but not adjusted size (from position).
Conclusions:
- Humans cannot reliably infer distance in 2D scenes using only visual size and horizon position.
- Perceived size and distance in 2D scenes are influenced differently by object familiarity, suggesting independent processing mechanisms.
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