Cognitive Psychology: Connecting Mind, Research and Everyday Experience, 3rd Edition

Beyond Bottom-Up Processing • 55

●FIGURE 3.11 (a) Viewing two quarters held at diff erent distances. (b) Positioning the

two quarters so, when viewed with one eye, their edges appear to be touching. (c) The far

quarter causes a smaller image on the observer’s retina than does the near quarter.

(a)

(b)

(c)

TABLE 3.1 Perception Is Not Completely Determined by the Size of the Image on the Retina

Example

Size of Image on

Receptors Perception

Two creatures on railroad

tracks

Image size is the same. Far creature appears larger.

Two quarters at diff erent

distances

Far quarter has smaller image

on the receptors.

Two quarters appear about the same

size when viewed with two eyes.

Person walking to the other

side of the room

Person’s image on observer’s

retina becomes smaller as he

walks away.

Person appears the same size when

near and farther away.

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