Understanding how Cyclopean Perception Arises from Binocular Vision

In vision sensation and perception are rarely equivalent. Most notably, humans perceive the world with three-dimensional depth in a manner consistent with having a single, cyclopean eye centered above the nose even though the inputs to the visual system are a pair of binocular inputs each of which is two-dimensional. In this dissertation we address three aspects of cyclopean perception and how each is influenced by its underlying binocular inputs. In Chapter 1 we study how viewing distance affects retinal disparity and how the visual system is able to maintain a depth percept that is invariant to these changes. In Chapter 2 we examine how binocular disparity and monocular luminance cues are integrated to perceive edges. Finally, in Chapter 3 we consider how monocular images from the left and right eyes are combined to optimize the cyclopean image. Together these studies provide insights into how the visual system interprets retinal inputs and transforms them into a single perception of the world