Previous research has found that when viewing an object in lateral motion with one eye, while looking through a filter, an impression of depth is conveyed. This effect is known as the Pulfrich effect. This experiment was designed to test the differences of this effect between higher and lower density filters. The subjects were asked to view a pendulum in motion and record what they observed. The results confirmed the Pulfrich effect, but nothing else.

The Pulfrich Effect in Different Density Filters

There has been much investigation in the study of object perception. In regards to a single target-object moving horizontally to the observer’s frontal plane, differences in perception have been found when a filter is placed before one eye. The Pulfrich effect describes a displacement in depth either toward or away from the observer when viewing the object in motion in this manner (Stevens, 1951).

This phenomenon is explained by the way the eye responds to light. The brain processes dimly illuminated stimuli slower than brightly illuminated ones, and is given mixed signals when viewing an object i

S1and S2 reported that when the light filter was placed before his right eye, the pendulum appeared to oscillate elliptically in a counterclockwise direction. With the light filter placed before his left eye, he reported the pendulum to swing elliptically in a clockwise direction. When S1 switched to the dark filter he reported the same observations, noting no difference between the two filters. Same was true with S2.

The results indicated that the Pulfrich effect took place when applied to a moving pendulum. All Ss reported an elliptical illusion taking place. S1 and S2, in fact confirmed previous research that when the right eye is covered, the pendulum will appear to oscillate counterclockwise, and when the left eye is covered, it will appear to oscillate clockwise (Lit, 1949). There was no noted difference between the different density filters. These results cannot, however, conclude definitively that the density of the filter used makes no difference in the Pulfrich effect. The experiment was only conducted with three Ss, and two different density filters. Perhaps more observations would have been made if the experiment was conducted with a greater number of Ss and a greater differenc

Some topics in this essay:
Density Filters, S1 S2, Abstract Previous, S1and S2, E’s E1, S2 S3, Light Filter, Dark Filter, Materials Pendulum, Method Participants, pulfrich effect, density filters, light filter, effect density filters, dark filter, viewing object, eye covered, previous research, pendulum motion, effect density, filter eye, pulfrich effect density, held front eye, front eye watching, watching pendulum motion,