Cues for the Perception of the Size of Space in Landscapes

Abstract

The perception of the size of spaces is not to be confused with the perception of distance. Both are called space perception. A number of attributes or cues is identified that determine the perception of the size of spaces in landscapes as viewed from slides, for instance the height and complexity of walls, the grain of soil texture, the presence of loose elements, brightness and the role of previous experience in a moving observer. Some of these cues are used for estimating distance as well. In the classical psychophysical theory of perception, these attributes were not recognized as cues for space perception, or their effects were called illusions. It is argued that the perception of the size of spaces and the perception of depth or distance are two different mental activities, because either different cues are used or the same cues are used in different ways. The perception of the size of a space is a separate faculty with its own cues, resulting from the integration of information on these cues. Space perception is an integration of the perception of distance and the perception of size.