Large Errors in the Perception of Verticality are Generated by Luminance Borders (Integrated across Space) Not by Subjective Borders

Perception ◽  
10.1068/p3070 ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 177-184
Author(s):  
Donatella Spinelli ◽  
Gabriella Antonucci ◽  
Maria Luisa Martelli ◽  
Pierluigi Zoccolotti
Keyword(s):  
Opposite Direction ◽  
Subjective Contour ◽  
Standard Condition ◽  
Global Orientation ◽  
Tilted Frame ◽  
Frame Tilt ◽  
Visual Vertical ◽  
Perception Of Verticality ◽  
Rod And Frame

The rod-and-frame illusion shows large errors in the judgment of visual vertical in the dark if the frame is large and there are no other visible cues (Witkin and Asch, 1948 Journal of Experimental Psychology38 762–782). Three experiments were performed to investigate other characteristics of the frame critical for generating these large errors. In the first experiment, the illusion produced by an 11° tilted frame made by luminance borders (standard condition) was considerably larger than that produced by a subjective-contour frame. In the second experiment, with a 33° frame tilt, the illusion was in the direction of frame tilt with a luminance-border frame but in the opposite direction in the subjective-contour condition. In the third experiment, to contrast the role of local and global orientation, the sides of the frame were made of short separate luminous segments. The segments could be oriented in the same direction as the frame sides, in the opposite direction, or could be vertical. The orientation of the global frame dominated the illusion while local orientation produced much smaller effects. Overall, to generate a large rod-and-frame illusion in the dark, the tilted frame must have luminance, not subjective, contours. Luminance borders do not need to be continuous: a frame made of sparse segments is also effective. The mechanism responsible for the large orientation illusion is driven by integrators of orientation across large areas, not by figural operators extracting shape orientation in the absence of oriented contours.

scholarly journals Determinants of the rod-and-frame effect: Role of organization and subjective contour

1980 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 136-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J. Streibel ◽  
Richard D. Barnes ◽  
George D. Julness ◽  
Sheldon M. Ebenholtz
Keyword(s):  
Subjective Contour ◽  
Frame Effect ◽  
Rod And Frame

Frame-of-Reference and Hierarchical-Organisation Effects in the Rod-and-Frame Illusion

Perception ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 26 (12) ◽  
pp. 1485-1494 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierluigi Zoccolotti ◽  
Gabriella Antonucci ◽  
Roberta Daini ◽  
Maria Luisa Martelli ◽  
Donatella Spinelli
Keyword(s):  
Visual Field ◽  
Frame Of Reference ◽  
Tilted Frame ◽  
Large Display ◽  
Frame Tilt ◽  
Small Display ◽  
Series Of Experiments ◽  
Visual Characteristics ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Rod And Frame

Two hypotheses proposed as alternatives by Rock—frame of reference and hierarchical organisation of perception—were tested in a series of experiments with the use of the rod-and-frame illusion. This illusion produces errors in the apparent vertical due to the presence of a tilted frame surrounding the test rod. The apparent vertical is shifted in the direction of the frame tilt. When an upright square was added inside the tilted frame, rod-setting errors varied according to the visual characteristics of the display. In the case of a large display presented in the dark (experiment 1), there continued to be large errors in the direction of the outer-square tilt. This finding supports the frame-of-reference hypothesis, which proposes that the orientation of all objects in the visual field is dominated by the most peripheral reference. In the case of a small display presented in a lit environment (experiments 2 and 3), the direction of errors was the opposite. This latter finding was taken to indicate that the rod was set with reference to the perceived tilt of the inner upright square. Thus, according to a hierarchical-organisation hypothesis, the orientation of an object in the visual field is influenced by objects in the immediate surroundings not by outermost reference. Overall, the results confirm the presence of two qualitatively different classes of orientational phenomena: one is concerned with the definition of egocentric coordinates and one with an object-centred visual representation.

Modulation of the Rod-And-Frame Illusion by Additional External Stimuli

Perception ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 24 (10) ◽  
pp. 1105-1118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donatella Spinelli ◽  
Gabriella Antonucci ◽  
Roberta Daini ◽  
Daniela Fanzon ◽  
Pierluigi Zoccolotti
Keyword(s):  
Visual Processing ◽  
Local Processing ◽  
Frame Tilt ◽  
Visual Vestibular Interaction ◽  
Frame Condition ◽  
External Frame ◽  
Global And Local ◽  
External Stimuli ◽  
Rod And Frame

The presence of an additional external upright frame was studied in three experiments to separate the role of visuovestibular, global, and local mechanisms in the rod-and-frame illusion (RFI). In the first experiment, carried out in a dark room, the external frame surrounded a large tilted frame. Rod-setting errors to the vertical were abolished with the additional-frame condition (at 22° inner-frame tilt) confirming earlier findings. However, small, residual direct (at 11° inner-frame tilt) and indirect effects (at 33° inner-frame tilt) were still present, indicating the persistence of global visual processing. In the second experiment, the RFI in the dark was compared with the RFI with the lights on. Turning the light on abolished the effect at 22° and 33° frame tilt; however, a small direct effect was maintained at 11° frame tilt. These two studies indicate that the addition of veridical vertical information abolishes the effect owing to visuovestibular mechanisms. In the third experiment, a small rod and frame was used with the lights on (a condition abolishing visual—vestibular interaction). In the case of a small gap between the rod and the inducing frame (a condition which maximises local processing), the effect of the outer upright frame was negligible; this indicates that the additional frame had no effect on local processing. In the case of a large gap (a condition which minimises local processing), the external square reduced the illusion, indicating its modulating effect on visual global processing. Overall, an upright external frame exerts a differential influence depending on which mechanisms contribute most to the RFI in a given experimental condition.

Subjective Estimates of Body Tilt and the Rod-and-Frame Test

1978 ◽  
Vol 47 (3_suppl) ◽  
pp. 1051-1056 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric Sigman ◽  
Donald R. Goodenough ◽  
Michael Flannagan
Keyword(s):  
Magnitude Estimation ◽  
Opposite Direction ◽  
Body Position ◽  
Estimation Procedure ◽  
Body Tilt ◽  
Frame Tilt ◽  
Subjective Estimates ◽  
Rod And Frame Test ◽  
Rod And Frame

The existence of an illusion of self-tilt in the rod-and-frame test was demonstrated using a magnitude-estimation procedure. Subjects, seated in a tiltable chair, estimated their body tilt after being placed in one of 13 body tilt positions and while viewing a rod-and-frame display. A shift of the apparent body position occurred in the opposite direction of frame tilt. The results are consistent with earlier findings using the method of body and head adjustment.

scholarly journals Manifestations of Aging in Virtual Reality Implementation of Rod and Frame Test

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 700-701
Author(s):  
Michal Adamski ◽  
Miroslaw Latka ◽  
Anna Latka ◽  
Bruce West
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Field Dependence ◽  
Frame Tilt ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Visual Frame ◽  
Visual Vertical ◽  
Two Parameters ◽  
Rod And Frame Test ◽  
Rod And Frame

Abstract Senior adults’ reliance on the visual frame of reference for spatial orientation is a manifestation of an age-related shift in cognitive style from field independence to field dependence. We implemented a virtual reality rod and frame test (VR-RFT) to assess visual field dependence (VFD) in n=39 young adults (20-30 years old) and n=43 seniors (60 years old and above). The subjects were asked to determine subjective visual vertical (SVV) for 19 angles of frame tilt (running from -45 degrees to 45 degrees in steps of 5 degrees). The strong VFD of seniors was manifested not only by the increased error in the determination of SVV (SVVE) but also in its distribution. For small and large frame tilt angles, seniors’ SVVE skewness and kurtosis were greater than those of young adults. The SVVE median dependence on frame tilt may be accounted for with a phenomenological model whose two parameters describe the strengths of primary (P) and secondary (S) visual attractors which subjects use to infer SVV: the edges of the frame and its imaginary diagonals. For young adults, these parameters were: PY=14.91 and SY=12.51. For seniors, we observed an over 50% increase in the strength of the primary attractor PS=26.31 while the strength of the secondary one was only weakly affected by aging: SS=13.74. We demonstrate that the asymmetry between the strength of attractors significantly contributes to SVVE made by seniors at large frame tilts. We hypothesize that a variant VR-RFT may be used in rehabilitation to reduce excessive VFD.

Visual Factors Affecting the Rod-And-Frame Illusion: Role of Gap Size and Frame Components

Perception ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 24 (10) ◽  
pp. 1119-1130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriella Antonucci ◽  
Daniela Fanzon ◽  
Donatella Spinelli ◽  
Pierluigi Zoccolotti
Keyword(s):  
Small Degree ◽  
Gap Size ◽  
Illusory Effect ◽  
Superiority Effect ◽  
Actual Length ◽  
Vertical Meridian ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Frame Tilt ◽  
Rod And Frame

In two studies the effect of the distance between the tip of the rod and the frame sides (gap) in the rod-and-frame (RF) illusion was examined and the effect of a full-square condition was compared with that of two different frame amputations. In both studies, there were more rod-setting errors in the direction of the tilt of the inducing figure with a small gap than with a large one. These findings are consistent with the idea that in the case of small gap size local interactions contribute to determining the RF illusion. The actual length of the rod was varied in order to keep the gap constant across different frame tilts; therefore these findings cannot be due to the co-variation between gap size and frame tilt which is typical of standard apparatuses. The effect of frame amputations was compared to the full-square condition. According to Wenderoth and Beh, amputations that maintain the two orthogonal contours of the square produce the typical angular function of the RF illusion. This prediction was confirmed in both studies. However, results indicate that the full square has a stronger illusory effect in the case of a small degree of tilt of the inducing stimulus, irrespective of gap size. It is suggested that this ‘square superiority’ effect is related to global, not local, mechanisms. To pursue Wenderoth and Beh's observations, amputations close to the vertical meridian were used in one experiment and those close to the horizontal meridian in the second experiment. Contrary to predictions, these conditions produced overlapping results.

Visual-vestibular mismatch correlates with headache

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Doaa S. Al-Sharif ◽  
Pamela Roehm ◽  
T. Logan Lindemann ◽  
Levent Dumenci ◽  
Emily A. Keshner
Keyword(s):  
Test Results ◽  
Complex Dynamic ◽  
Sensory Reweighting ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Visual Vertical ◽  
Future Direction ◽  
Visual Dependence ◽  
Rod And Frame Test ◽  
Rod And Frame

BACKGROUND: Dizziness affects 20–30%of the general population. A subgroup of dizzy patients with chronic migraine suffers vertigo implying that the migraine has a vestibular component. Vestibular migraine remains a diagnosis of exclusion based on history. OBJECTIVE: A link between headaches and dizziness suggests that these individuals would demonstrate dizziness and instability in complex, dynamic visual environments as a result of an inability to correctly process conflicting visual and vestibular signals. METHODS: A convenience sample of 74 patients (22 men and 52 women; average age 56.2 years) who presented with complaints of dizziness participated. Effects of Visual-Vestibular Mismatch (VVM) were measured using a modified VVM questionnaire. Visual dependence was measured as the error to subjective visual vertical using a computerized Rod and Frame test. RESULTS: Forty-two participants (56.8%) tested positive for VVM. Of these, 68.9%were patients with concomitant complaints of headaches. Visual dependence was present in 41.5%of all patients but showed no significant correlation with headache. 22.2%of patients had visual dependence and complained of headaches. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that sensory reweighting occurs in patients experiencing dizziness and headache, supports the role of vestibular involvement in this disorder, and provides future direction for novel interventions.

scholarly journals Visual Verticality Perception in Spinal Diseases: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 1725 ◽  
Author(s):  
Esteban Obrero-Gaitán ◽  
Francisco Molina ◽  
Rafael Del-Pino-Casado ◽  
Alfonso Javier Ibáñez-Vera ◽  
Daniel Rodríguez-Almagro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Idiopathic Scoliosis ◽  
Healthy Subjects ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Spinal Pain ◽  
Spinal Diseases ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Perception Of Verticality ◽  
Standardized Mean Difference ◽  
Rod And Frame Test ◽  
Rod And Frame

Patients diagnosed with traumatic or non-traumatic spinal pain and idiopathic scoliosis frequently suffer from imbalance. The evaluation of the perception of verticality by means of visual tests emerges as a quick and easy tool for clinical management of the balance disorders. Several studies have assessed the visual perception of verticality in spinal diseases obtaining controversial results. The aim of our study is to analyze the perception of visual verticality in subjects with several spinal diseases in comparison with healthy subjects. A meta-analysis was carried out. PubMed MEDLINE, Scopus, WoS, CINAHL, and SciELO databases were searched until January 2020. The standardized mean difference (SMD) was calculated to analyze differences between patients and healthy controls. Fifteen studies with a total of 2052 patients were included. In comparison with healthy subjects, a misperception of verticality was found in patients with spinal pain when the perception of the verticality was assessed with the rod and frame test (SMD = 0.339; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.181, 0.497; p < 0.001). It seems that the perception of visual verticality is not altered in patients with idiopathic scoliosis (p = 0.294). The present meta-analysis shows a misperception of visual verticality only in patients with spinal pain.

Fine's Frame and Perceived Tilt

1982 ◽  
Vol 54 (3) ◽  
pp. 763-766 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Wenderoth
Keyword(s):  
Frame Tilt ◽  
Rod And Frame

In 1980 Fine asserted that in all rod-and-frame studies, frame tilt has been experimenter-defined. This claim is unwarranted. Attempts to manipulate rod-and-frame illusions by setting observers to see identical frames as squares or diamonds are discussed, as are the difficulties of interpreting the obtained data.

Induced Motion and the Visual Vertical: Effects of Frame Size

1994 ◽  
Vol 79 (3_suppl) ◽  
pp. 1443-1450 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janice N. Brooks ◽  
Michael F. Sherrick
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Orientation ◽  
Present Experiment ◽  
Visual Motion ◽  
Frame Size ◽  
Frame Effect ◽  
Visual Vertical ◽  
Induced Motion ◽  
Perceived Motion ◽  
Extensive Involvement ◽  
Rod And Frame

Induced visual motion and the rod-and-frame effect have both been explained in terms of changes in the observer's spatial orientation. Accordingly, we examined the effects of large and small visual frames on the two phenomena in the present experiment, testing 8 male and 8 female undergraduates. During induced motion, subjects noted the perceived motion of a stationary central point of light and then moved this light back to its apparent original location. For the visual vertical, subjects aligned two points of light to indicate the perceived vertical in the presence of straight and tilted frames. As predicted, the larger frames generated more induced motion and greater displacement of the visual vertical. These results may have occurred because the larger frame had a greater effect on the subjects' spatial orientation, perhaps due to the more extensive involvement of the peripheral, or ambient, visual system.

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