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. 2017 Jan;72(1):91-99.
doi: 10.1093/geronb/gbw089. Epub 2016 Jul 29.

The Roles for Prior Visual Experience and Age on the Extraction of Egocentric Distance

Courtney P Wallin  1 , Daniel A Gajewski  2 , Rebeca W Teplitz  2 , Sandra Mihelic Jaidzeka  2 , John W Philbeck  2
Affiliations

The Roles for Prior Visual Experience and Age on the Extraction of Egocentric Distance

Courtney P Wallin et al. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2017 Jan.

Abstract

Objectives: In a well-lit room, observers can generate well-constrained estimates of the distance to an object on the floor even with just a fleeting glimpse. Performance under these conditions is typically characterized by some underestimation but improves when observers have previewed the room. Such evidence suggests that information extracted from longer durations may be stored to contribute to the perception of distance at limited time frames. Here, we examined the possibility that this stored information is used differentially across age. Specifically, we posited that older adults would rely more than younger adults on information gathered and stored at longer glimpses to judge the distance of briefly glimpsed objects.

Method: We collected distance judgments from younger and older adults after brief target glimpses. Half of the participants were provided 20-s previews of the testing room in advance; the other half received no preview.

Results: Performance benefits were observed for all individuals with prior visual experience, and these were moderately more pronounced for the older adults.

Discussion: The results suggest that observers store contextual information gained from longer viewing durations to aid in the perception of distance at brief glimpses, and that this memory becomes more important with age.

Keywords: Aging; Blind walking; Distance perception; Memory; Visual space.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
An overhead schematic of the apparatus used to present a brief glimpse of the real-world room to the observer is depicted on left. The observer views the room through a shutter window and beamsplitter (a) that are jointly mounted to a movable stage (b). The mask projector (c) projects the masking image onto the projection screen (d). The floodlight (e) illuminates the target and stimulus environment. The baffle (f) prevents the spillage of light into the staging area. A view through the shutter window when the window is in its clear state is depicted on the top right (g). A view when the shutter window is light scattering (semiopaque) and the colored mask image is reflected in the beamsplitter is depicted on the bottom right (h).
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Mean response distance depicted as a function of target distance. Viewing duration was either Fast (40ms for younger, 88ms for older) or Slow (5s). Performance for each of the four groups, differing by age (Younger vs. Older) and condition (No-Preview vs. Preview), are depicted.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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