Aging and the perception of egocentric distance

Psychol Aging. 2013 Sep;28(3):813-25. doi: 10.1037/a0030991. Epub 2012 Dec 31.

Abstract

The present study examined whether there is an age-related difference in judging egocentric distances. In 4 experiments, both younger and older observers judged the physical distance of an object on a ground plane and reported their judgments by verbal report and by blind rope pulling. Overall, we found that (a) younger observers in general underestimated egocentric distance and showed foreshortening; (b) older observers judged more egocentric distance than younger observers and did not show foreshortening; and (c) this age-related difference was not due to an age-related difference in scaling or output calibration (Experiment 2), the use of eye height information (Experiment 3), or the use of texture gradient information (Experiment 4). These results may be accounted for by differences in perceived slant of the ground surface or a greater reliance on pictorial cues with increased age.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Age Factors
  • Aged
  • Aging / physiology
  • Aging / psychology*
  • Cues
  • Distance Perception / physiology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Judgment / physiology*
  • Male
  • Pattern Recognition, Visual / physiology
  • Space Perception / physiology
  • Young Adult