Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Depth Perception and Spatial Vision

Depth Perception and Spatial Vision

Depth perception is the ability to perceive objects three-dimensionally. It relies on two types of cues: binocular and monocular. Binocular cues depend on the combination of images from both eyes and how the eyes work together. Since the eyes are in slightly different positions, each eye captures a slightly different image. This disparity between images, known as binocular disparity, helps the brain interpret depth. When the brain compares these images, it determines the distance to an object.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Comparison helps children form broad explanations.

Child development·2026

Same author

"You didn't take my side!": When children expect others to be more upset at friends.

Developmental psychology·2026

Same author

The role of language in forming the concepts same and different.

Cognition·2026

Same author

Structural Alignment and Linguistic Contrast Help Children Learn a Key Principle of Spatial Construction.

Cognitive science·2025

Same author

Children's Early Spontaneous Comparisons Predict Later Analogical Reasoning Skills: An Investigation of Parental Influence.

Open mind : discoveries in cognitive science·2023

Same author

Hierarchical Architecture Engineering of Branch-Leaf-Shaped Cobalt Phosphosulfide Quantum Dots: Enabling Multi-Dimensional Ion-Transport Channels for High-Efficiency Sodium Storage.

Advanced materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)·2023

Same journal

Pronoun Resolution in Turkish: The Interplay of Referential Form, Word Order, and Implicit Causality.

Cognitive science·2026

Same journal

What's in a Color?: Language, Synesthesia, and Categorical Perception.

Cognitive science·2026

Same journal

Reasoning Beyond Explicit Rules: Adults' and Children's Use of Closure Principles in Novel Cases.

Cognitive science·2026

Same journal

Intermediary Object States Are Activated by Sentences Describing Completed Events.

Cognitive science·2026

Same journal

Large Language Models Estimate Fine-Grained Human Color-Concept Associations.

Cognitive science·2026

Same journal

Computational Models of Causal Reasoning: Bayesian Accounts of Normative Violations.

Cognitive science·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 1, 2025

Eye Tracking Young Children with Autism

Eye Tracking Young Children with Autism

Published on: March 27, 2012

Spatial Alignment Facilitates Visual Comparison in Children.

Yinyuan Zheng¹, Bryan Matlen², Dedre Gentner¹

¹Department of Psychology, Northwestern University.

Cognitive Science

|August 16, 2022

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Visual comparison is more effective when items are placed side-by-side, a principle confirmed in children. This spatial alignment aids learning and reasoning in young learners.

Keywords:

Development of visual processing Spatial alignment Structural alignment Visual comparison

More Related Videos

Gaze in Action: Head-mounted Eye Tracking of Children's Dynamic Visual Attention During Naturalistic Behavior

Gaze in Action: Head-mounted Eye Tracking of Children's Dynamic Visual Attention During Naturalistic Behavior

Published on: November 14, 2018

Comparing Eye-tracking Data of Children with High-functioning ASD, Comorbid ADHD, and of a Control Watching Social Videos

Comparing Eye-tracking Data of Children with High-functioning ASD, Comorbid ADHD, and of a Control Watching Social Videos

Published on: December 7, 2018

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Sep 1, 2025

Eye Tracking Young Children with Autism

Eye Tracking Young Children with Autism

Published on: March 27, 2012

Gaze in Action: Head-mounted Eye Tracking of Children's Dynamic Visual Attention During Naturalistic Behavior

Gaze in Action: Head-mounted Eye Tracking of Children's Dynamic Visual Attention During Naturalistic Behavior

Published on: November 14, 2018

Comparing Eye-tracking Data of Children with High-functioning ASD, Comorbid ADHD, and of a Control Watching Social Videos

Comparing Eye-tracking Data of Children with High-functioning ASD, Comorbid ADHD, and of a Control Watching Social Videos

Published on: December 7, 2018

Area of Science:

Cognitive psychology
Developmental psychology
Educational psychology

Background:

Visual comparison is crucial for learning and reasoning.
Structure-mapping theory explains comparison processes.
The spatial alignment principle suggests direct placement enhances visual comparison efficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate if the spatial alignment principle applies to children's visual comparison.
To examine how spatial alignment affects comparison accuracy and speed in children.

Main Methods:

Six- and eight-year-old children participated in a same-different visual pair task.
Performance was assessed under conditions of direct placement versus other arrangements.

Main Results:

Direct placement significantly improved comparison speed and accuracy in children.
This benefit was observed for both object-relation and purely relational matches.
The findings support the application of the spatial alignment principle across age groups.

Conclusions:

The spatial alignment principle is effective for visual comparison in 6- and 8-year-old children, mirroring adult capabilities.
This principle has significant implications for designing educational materials and learning strategies.
Optimizing spatial arrangement can enhance children's learning and reasoning abilities.