Psychology2016

Sensation and Perception 123

CONTIGUITY Contiguity isn’t shown in Figure 3. 20 because it involves not just nearness
in space but nearness in time also. Basically, contiguity is the tendency to perceive two
things that happen close together in time as being related. Usually the first occurring
event is seen as causing the second event. Ventriloquists* make vocalizations without
appearing to move their own mouths but move their dummy’s mouth instead. The ten-
dency to believe that the dummy is doing the talking is due largely to contiguity.
There is one other principle of perceptual grouping that was not one of the origi-
nal principles. It was added to the list (and can be seen at the bottom of Figure 3. 20 ) by
Stephen Palmer (Palmer, 1992). In common region, the tendency is to perceive objects that
are in a common area or region as being in a group. In Figure 3. 20 , people could perceive
the stars as one group and the circles as another on the basis of similarity. But the col-
ored backgrounds so visibly define common regions that people instead perceive three
groups—one of which has both stars and circles in it.

Depth Perception

3. 15 Explain how we perceive depth using both monocular and binocular cues.

The capability to see the world in three dimensions is called depth perception. It’s a
handy ability, because without it you would have a hard time judging how far away
objects are. How early in life do humans develop depth perception? It seems to develop
very early in infancy, if it is not actually present at birth. People who have had sight
restored have almost no ability to perceive depth if they were blind from birth. Depth
perception, like the constancies, seems to be present in infants at a very young age.
to Learning Objective 8.6.
Various cues exist for perceiving depth in the world. Some require the use of only
one eye (monocular cues) and some are a result of the slightly different visual patterns
that exist when the visual fields of both eyes are used (binocular cues).

MONOCULAR CUES Monocular cues are often referred to as pictorial depth cues
because artists can use these cues to give the illusion of depth to paintings and draw-
ings. Examples of these cues are discussed next and can be seen in Figure 3. 21.

1. Linear perspective: When looking down a long interstate highway, the two sides of
   the highway appear to merge together in the distance. This tendency for lines that
   are actually parallel to seem to converge** on each other is called linear perspective.
   It works in pictures because people assume that in the picture, as in real life, the
   converging lines indicate that the “ends” of the lines are a great distance away from
   where the people are as they view them.


2. Relative size: The principle of size constancy is at work in relative size, when
   objects that people expect to be of a certain size appear to be small and are, there-
   fore, assumed to be much farther away. Movie makers use this principle to make
   their small models seem gigantic but off in the distance.


3. Overlap: If one object seems to be blocking another object, people assume that the
   blocked object is behind the first one and, therefore, farther away. This cue is also
   known as interposition.


4. Aerial (atmospheric) perspective: The farther away an object is, the hazier the
   object will appear to be due to tiny particles of dust, dirt, and other pollutants
   in the air, a perceptual cue called aerial (atmospheric) perspective. This is why

contiguity

a Gestalt principle of perception, the

tendency to perceive two things that

haRRen close together in time as Deing

related.

*ventriloquist: an entertainer who, through the use of misdirection and skill, makes other
objects, such as a dummy, appear to talk.
**converge: come together.

depth perception

the aDility to Rerceive the world in

three dimensions

monocular cues (pictorial depth

cues)

cues for Rerceiving deRth Dased on

one eye only.

binocular cues

cues for Rerceiving deRth Dased on

Doth eyes.

linear perspective

monocular depth perception cue, the

tendency for parallel lines to appear to

converge on each other.

relative size

monocular depth perception cue, per-

ceRtion that occurs when oDLects that

a Rerson eZRects to De of a certain si\e

aRRear to De small and are therefore

assumed to De much farther away.

interposition

monocular depth perception cue,

the assumRtion that an oDLect that

aRRears to De DlocMing Rart of another

oDLect is in front of the second oDLect

and closer to the viewer.

aerial (atmospheric) perspective

monocular depth perception cue, the

ha\iness that surrounds oDLects that

are farther away from the viewer,

causing the distance to De Rerceived

as greater.