At a railway museum, a researcher tested depth perception using a model platform. Visitors watched a toy train pass three signal posts at different distance...
Question 1 Report
At a railway museum, a researcher tested depth perception using a model platform. Visitors watched a toy train pass three signal posts at different distances, then wrote which post appeared to move fastest. The brain can use motion parallax as visual information about distance. Table 1 gives the responses from 48 visitors.
| Signal post position | Number choosing it as moving fastest |
|---|---|
| Nearest post, 1.5 m away | 35 |
| Middle post, 4.0 m away | 9 |
| Furthest post, 8.0 m away | 4 |
(a) Which signal post was selected by most visitors? [1]
(b) Explain how the data support the idea that motion parallax helps perception of depth. [3]
(c) Outline one weakness of using this model-train study to explain perception in everyday situations. [2]
Answer Details
(a) The nearest signal post / the post 1.5 m away. [1] (b) Objects nearer to an observer appear to move faster across the visual field than distant objects. [1] Most visitors chose the nearest post, 35 out of 48. [1] This suggests they used the apparent speed of movement as information about the post's distance. [1] (c) Any one weakness, with development: the model train and museum display may not look like normal travel / lack realism. [1] Therefore the findings may not generalise to perception of real moving objects in everyday environments. [1]
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