Do Monocular Tilt and Spatial Frequency Aftereffects Induce the Binocular Perception of Inclination and Slant?

Abstract

Prolonged viewing of a set of tilted lines can affect the perceived orientation of a second set of lines with a different physical orientation (tilt aftereffect). Similarly, prolonged viewing of a set of lines of a particular spatial periodicity can affect the perceived periodicity of a second set of lines with a different physical periodicity (spatial frequency shift aftereffect). We investigated whether a binocular difference resulting from monocular tilt or spatial frequency aftereffects could induce the perception of 3-D inclination or slant respectively. Observers adapted to monocular patterns (5 deg in diameter) arranged in a vertical ‘dumbbell’ configuration in dichoptic alternation. The adapting patterns differed in either orientation (±6.25° or ±11.25°) or in spatial frequency (±0.5 or ±0.75 octaves) from a test surface comprising vertical lines at 4 cycles deg−1. The period of adaptation was 3 min. Observers judged whether the test surfaces appeared to (i) form a convex or concave hinge in depth (after adaptation to tilt), or (ii) to slant in opposite directions about a vertical axis (after adaptation to periodicity). Using a relative slant/inclination judgment may be more sensitive than depth matching or nulling of a single surface (eg Sloane and Blake, 1987 Perception & Psychophysics42 569 – 575). Our results suggest that (i) differences in perceived periodicity in separate monocular images do not induce the impression of stereoscopic slant (confirming the results of Sloane and Blake) and (ii) differences in perceived orientation in separate monocular images do not induce an impression of stereoscopic inclination.