Scalar Perceptions with Binocular Cues of Distance

Under reduced conditions of observation, the perception of egocentric distance is determined by a composite of the tendency to see objects as near (the specific-distance tendency) and residual oculomotor cues of distance. The resulting perceived distance-the egocentric reference distance-was found to affect the perceived relative depth produced by binocular disparity between two points of light: the more distant light was positioned in apparent depth near the egocentric reference distance, with the scalar perception of the depth between the lights related to the magnitude of the reference distance. Implications for the scaling of relational perceptions are discussed.