Relative Size in Isolation as a Stimulus for Relative Perceived Distance.

2 experiments examined the perceived relative distance produced by relative size in isolation. The hypothesis was that S assumes identity of physical size and interprets the difference in apparent size as a difference in distance. Experiment I examined this hypothesis by observing the effect of experimentally trained size assumptions on subsequent relative distance judgments. Experiment II used pairs of familiar objects which had known, normally invariant physical sizes. By varying the actual physical sizes of the standards it was possible to study the hypothesized effect of size assumptions on relative perceived distance. The results of Experiment I did not agree with the hypothesis. Experiment II did confirm the hypothesis. Both experiments were discussed in the context of the assumptive hypothesis.