the question: Some size/distance cues are useful for distant objects, others for close objects. Provide one example of a cue that would be good for near objects, and one for distant objects. Explain why the cues you have selected would be less useful for objects at other distances (i.e., why the ‘close’ cue is less useful at great distance, and why the ‘distant’ cue is less useful up close).
my answer so far: It can be difficult to determine the true size and distance of an object, but there are some cues to help with this. One cue that is good for near objects is convergence. When an object is closer, the eyes cross in order to look at it. You want the image to appear on the fovea, the center of the retina. Your eyes are some distance apart, so they cross in an attempt to keep the image on the fovea. This cue is less useful for objects at further distances because for objects that are more than twenty feet away, the eyes are nearly parallel and do not cross.
i can't find ANYTHING about cues that are more useful for distant objects and i've been searching for an hour now. help?
Try these articles:
http://www.members.cox.net/dagershaw/lol/VisualDepth1.html
http://www.members.cox.net/dagershaw/lol/VisualDepth2.html
Finding information about size/distance cues can sometimes be a bit challenging, but I can definitely help you out with that. While convergence is indeed a cue that is useful for near objects, let's focus on finding a cue that is more relevant for distant objects.
One example of a cue that is useful for distant objects is the size cue known as relative size or relative height. This cue relies on the observation that objects that are further away appear smaller than objects that are closer to us. This phenomenon is often used to judge the distance and size of objects in our surroundings.
The relative size cue works well for distant objects because as an object moves further away, it appears smaller in relation to nearby objects or objects of known sizes. For example, if you see two people standing at different distances from you, the person who appears smaller is likely to be further away. This cue is less useful for near objects because the differences in size between nearby objects are more apparent, making it easier to judge their relative distance.
To summarize, convergence is a useful cue for near objects because our eyes cross to maintain focus, and this cue becomes less useful for distant objects as our eyes are nearly parallel when looking at objects that are more than twenty feet away. On the other hand, the relative size cue is useful for distant objects because objects that are further away appear smaller in relation to nearby objects, but it is less useful for near objects as the differences in size between nearby objects are more noticeable.
I hope this clarifies the cues and their applications for you!