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A statistical explanation of visual space

Nature Neuroscience volume 6, pages 632–640 (2003)Cite this article

Abstract

The subjective visual space perceived by humans does not reflect a simple transformation of objective physical space; rather, perceived space has an idiosyncratic relationship with the real world. To date, there is no consensus about either the genesis of perceived visual space or the implications of its peculiar characteristics for visually guided behavior. Here we used laser range scanning to measure the actual distances from the image plane of all unoccluded points in a series of natural scenes. We then asked whether the differences between real and apparent distances could be explained by the statistical relationship of scene geometry and the observer. We were able to predict perceived distances in a variety of circumstances from the probability distribution of physical distances. This finding lends support to the idea that the characteristics of human visual space are determined probabilistically.

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Figure 1: Anomalies in perceived distance.
Figure 2: A representative range image taken from one of the wide-field images acquired by laser range scanning.
Figure 3: Probability distributions of the physical distances from the image plane of points in the range image database of natural scenes.
Figure 4: The perceived distances predicted for objects located at eye level, and for objects on the ground.
Figure 5: Probability distribution of physical distances at different elevation angles.
Figure 6: Probability distributions of physical distances below eye level when the terrain has a local dip or a hump.
Figure 7: Statistical explanation of the effect of a dip in the ground-plane on perceived distance.
Figure 8: Statistical explanation of the effect of a hump in the ground plane on perceived distance.

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Acknowledgements

We thank C. Howe, F. Long, S. Nundy, D. Schwartz and J. Voyvodic for useful comments, and M. Williams for help with the art. This project was supported by the National Institutes of Health and the Geller endowment.

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  1. Department of Neurobiology, Box 3209, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, 27710, North Carolina, USA

    Zhiyong Yang & Dale Purves

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Correspondence to Zhiyong Yang.

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Yang, Z., Purves, D. A statistical explanation of visual space. Nat Neurosci 6, 632–640 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/nn1059

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