Abstract
The present investigation aims at the determination of the influence of the distance between the observer and a moving object and of the size of a slit in front of the object, on the maximum angular velocity of pursuit ocular movements. The latter was indirectly computed from the maximum linear velocity at which an individual is just able to recognize the smallest resolvable details of the object moving in a vertical plane. The results indicate that the maximum angular velocity of eye movements is equal to 57.3s/d(bs+a) where s is the vertical dimension of the slit, d, the distance between the observer and the moving object, and b and a are constants for the individual. It is concluded from the above relationship that s and d independently influence the maximum angular velocity of eye movements and not by altering the pattern of image on the retina. The results confirm the hypothesis that the maximum angular velocity of eye movements is related to the perceived dimensions of the slit. Further, it is postulated that the visual cues for distance perception are responsible for the inverse linear relationship between the response of the eyes to a given stimulus pattern in the psychovisual cortex and the distance of the observer from the object.
© 1960 Optical Society of America
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