Psychology MCAT Practice Exam

Which binocular cue for depth perception involves the degree to which the eyes converge?

1. Retinal disparity

2. Accommodation

3. Convergence

4. Monocular vision

The correct answer is: Convergence

The binocular cue for depth perception that involves the degree to which the eyes converge is called convergence. This phenomenon occurs when the eyes turn inward to focus on an object that is close to the viewer. The more the eyes converge, the closer the object is perceived to be. This alignment allows the brain to interpret the angle of convergence as a cue for depth, helping to create a three-dimensional perception of the environment. In contrast, retinal disparity refers to the slight difference in the images received by each eye due to their horizontal separation, which the brain uses to gauge depth as well. Accommodation involves the adjustment of the lens in each eye to focus on objects at different distances, but it does not specifically relate to the convergence of the eyes. Monocular vision pertains to depth perception using one eye, which relies on different cues than those used in binocular depth perception.