Abstract
In four experiments, we explored the heading and path information available to observers as we simulated their locomotion through a cluttered environment while they fixated an object off to the side. Previously, we presented a theory about the information available and used in such situations. For such a theory to be valid, one must be sure of eye position, but we had been unable to monitor gaze systematically; in Experiment 1, we monitored eye position and found performance best when observers fixated the designated object at the center of the display. In Experiment 2, when we masked portions of the display, we found that performance generally matched the amount of display visible when scaled to retinal sensitivity. In Experiments 3 and 4, we then explored the metric of information about heading (nominal vs. absolute) available and found good nominal information but increasingly poor and biased absolute information as observers looked farther from the aimpoint. Part of the cause for this appears to be that some observers perceive that they have traversed a curved path even when taking a linear one. In all cases, we compared our results with those in the literature.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Andersen, G. J., &Braunstein, M. (1985). Induced self-motion in central vision.Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception & Performance,11, 122–132.
Beer, J. M. A. (1993). Perceiving scene layout through an aperture during visual simulated self-motion.Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception & Performance,19, 1066–1081.
Berthoz, A., Israël, I., Georges-François, P., Grasso, R., &Tsuzuku, T. (1995). Spatial memory of body linear displacement: What is being stored?Science,269, 95–98.
Berthoz, A., Pavard, B., &Young, L. R. (1975). Perception of linear horizontal self-motion induced by peripheral vision (linear vection).Experimental Brain Research,23, 471–489.
Brandt, T., Dichgans, J., &Koenig, E. (1973). Differential effects of central and peripheral vision on egocentric and exocentric motion perception.Experimental Brain Research,16, 476–491.
Crowell, J. A., &Banks, M. S. (1993). Perceiving heading with different retinal regions and types of optic flow.Perception & Psychophysics,53, 325–337.
Cutting, J. E. (1986).Perception with an eye for motion. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Cutting, J. E. (1991a). Four ways to reject directed perception.Ecological Psychology,3, 25–34.
Cutting, J. E. (1991b). Why our stimuli look as they do. In G. Lockhead & J. R. Pomerantz (Eds.),Perception of structure: Essays in honor of Wendell R. Garner (pp. 41–52). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Cutting, J. E. (1993). Perceptual artifacts and phenomena: Gibson’s role in the 20th century. In S. Masin (Ed.),Foundations of perceptual theory (pp. 231–260). Amsterdam: Elsevier.
Cutting, J. E. (1996). Wayfinding from multiple sources of local information in retinal flow.Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception & Performance,22, 1299–1313.
Cutting, J. E., Flückiger, M., Baumberger, B., &Gerndt, J. (1996). Heading information from retinal flow in naturalistic environments [Abstract].Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science,37, S454.
Cutting, J. E., Springer, K., Braren, P. A., &Johnson, S. H. (1992). Wayfinding on foot from information in retinal, not optical, flow.Journal of Experimental Psychology: General,121, 41–72.
Cutting, J. E., &Vishton, P. M. (1995). Perceiving layout and knowing distances: The integration, relative potency, and contextual use of different information about depth. In W. Epstein & S. Rogers (Eds.),Perception of space and motion (pp. 69–117). San Diego: Academic Press.
Cutting, J. E., Vishton, P. M., &Braren, P. A. (1995). How we avoid collisions with stationary and moving objects.Psychological Review,102, 627–651.
Dichgans, J., &Brandt, T. (1978). Visual-vestibular interaction: Effects of self-motion perception and postural control. In R. Held, H. Leibowitz, & H.-L. Teuber (Eds.),Handbook of sensory physiology: Vol. 8, Perception (pp. 755–804). New York: Springer-Verlag.
Gibson, J. J. (Ed.) (1947).Motion picture testing and research (Army Air Forces Aviation Psychology Research Reports, No. 7). Washington, DC: U. S. Government Printing Office.
Goldstein, E. B. (1987). Spatial layout, orientation relative to the observer, and perceived projection in pictures viewed at an angle.Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception & Performance,13, 78–87.
Hildreth, E. C. (1992). Recovering heading for visually-guided navigation.Vision Research,32, 1177–1192.
Johnson, C. A., &Leibowitz, H. W. (1979). Practice effects for visual resolution in the periphery.Perception & Psychophysics,25, 439–442.
Johnston, I. R., White, G. R., &Cumming, R. W. (1973). The role of optical expansion patterns in locomotor control.American Journal of Psychology,86, 311–324.
Kim, N.-G., Growney, R., &Turvey, M. T. (1996). Optical flow not retinal flow is the basis of wayfinding by foot.Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception & Performance,22, 1279–1288.
Leibowitz, H. W., Johnson, C., &Isabelle, E. (1972). Peripheral motion detection and refractive error.Science,177, 1207–1208.
Llewellyn, K. R. (1971). Visual guidance of locomotion.Journal of Experimental Psychology,91, 245–261.
Motorcycle Safety Foundation (1992).Evaluating, coaching, and range management instructor’s guide. Irvine, CA: Author.
Perrone, J., &Stone, L. (1994). A model of self-motion estimation within primate visual cortex.Vision Research,34, 1917–1938.
Probst, T., Krafczyk, S., Brandt, S., &Wist, E. R. (1984). Interactionbetween perceived self-motion and object-motion impairs vehicle guidance.Science,225, 536–538.
Road Research Laboratory (1963).Research on road safety. London: Her Majesty’s Stationery Office.
Royden, C. S. (1994). Analysis of misperceived observer motion during simulated eye rotations.Vision Research,34, 3215–3222.
Royden, C. S., Banks, M. S., &Crowell, J. A. (1992). The perception of heading during eye movements.Nature,360, 583–585.
Royden, C. S., Crowell, J. A., &Banks, M. S. (1994). Estimating heading during eye movements.Vision Research,34, 3197–3214.
Royden, C. S., &Hildreth, E. C. (1996). Human heading judgments in the presence of moving objects.Perception & Psychophysics,58, 836–856.
Sekuler, R., &Blake, R. (1994).Perception (3rd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
Stoffregen, T. A. (1985). Flow structure versus retinal location in the optical control of stance.Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception & Performance,11, 554–565.
Stoffregen, T. A. (1986). The role of optical velocity in the control of stance.Perception & Psychophysics,39, 355–360.
Stoffregen, T. A., &Riccio, G. E. (1990). Responses to optical looming in the retinal center and in the periphery.Ecological Psychology,2, 251–274.
van den Berg, A. V. (1992). Robustness of perception of heading from optic flow.Vision Research,32, 1285–1296.
van den Berg, A. V., &Brenner, E. (1994a). Humans combine the optic flow with static depth cues for robust perception of heading.Vision Research,34, 2153–2167.
van den Berg, A. V., &Brenner, E. (1994b). Why two eyes are better than one for judgments of heading.Nature,371, 700–702.
Vishton, P. M., &Cutting, J. E. (1995). Wayfinding, displacements, and mental maps: Velocity fields are not typically used to determine one’s aimpoint.Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception & Performance,21, 978–995.
Vishton, P. M., Nijhawan, R., &Cutting, J. E. (1994). Moving observers utilize static depth cues in determining their direction of motion [Abstract].Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science,35, 2000.
Warren, R. (1976). The perception of egomotion.Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception & Performance,2, 448–456.
Warren, W. H., &Hannon, D. J. (1990). Eye movements and optical flow.Journal of the Optical Society of America A,7, 160–169.
Warren, W. H., &Kurtz, K. J. (1992). The role of central and peripheral vision in perceiving the direction of self-motion.Perception & Psychophysics,51, 443–454.
Warren, W. H., Li, L. Y., Ehrlich, S. M., Crowell, J. A., &Banks, M. S. (1996). Perception of heading during eye movements uses both optic flow and eye position information [Abstract].Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science,37, S454.
Warren, W. H., Mestre, D. R., Blackwell, A. W., &Morris, M.W. (1991). Perception of circular heading optical flow.Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception & Performance,17, 28–43.
Warren, W. H., Morris, M. W., &Kalish, M. (1988). Perception of translational heading from optical flow.Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception & Performance,14, 644–660.
Warren, W. H., &Saunders, J. A. (1995). Perceiving heading in the presence of moving objects.Perception,24, 315–331.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
This research was supported by U.S. National Science Foundation Grant SBR-9212786 and by a John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Fellowship during 1993, both to the first author.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Cutting, J.E., Vishton, P.M., Flückiger, M. et al. Heading and path information from retinal flow in naturalistic environments. Perception & Psychophysics 59, 426–441 (1997). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03211909
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03211909