Situational and personal influences on space perception with experimental spectacles: Part two: Semi-prolonged tests with inverting Glasses

Abstract

Besides the situational (stimulus and personal (deliberate) influences on space perception which we encounter in prolonged experiments with inversion glasses—as treated in another article—, we found relevant personality conditions to determine the course of adaptation to these glasses during semi-prolonged wearing, i.e. over three hours. During locomotion such personality conditions are reflected in a faster or slower adaptation of visual-field-motion to an objectively stable world. 12 subjects, all found to differ non-significantly when tested with Raven's intelligence matrices, but scoring over the wole range of Guilford's Rhathymia scale and a self-rate scale of the extra-introversion dimension, adjusted their R-L-inverted vision significantly different in the following way: Introverts increased or kept constant their initial amount of visual-field-motion (as measured on a rotating chair after putting the glasses on and before taking them off), whereas extraverts decreased the initial amount of this illusion during 3 hours inversion. In the light of these preliminary findings which agree with Eysenck's personality theory, slightly extraverted persons appear visionally better disposed for an adjustment in situations which require a fast spatial re-orientation.