Binocular contributions to linear vertical vection

Compelling illusions of self-motion, known as vection, can be produced in a stationary observer by visual stimulation alone. The role of binocular vision and stereopsis in these illusions was explored in a series of three experiments. Previous research had provided evidence of stereoscopic enhancements for linear vection in depth (e.g., Palmisano, 1996, 2002). Here we examined for the first time the effects of binocular vision and stereopsis on linear vertical vection. Vertical vection was induced by the upward or downward translation of large stereoscopic surfaces. These surfaces were horizontally oriented depth corrugations produced by disparity modulation of patterns of persistent or short lifetime dot elements. We found that binocular viewing of such surfaces significantly increased the magnitudes and decreased the onset delays of vertical vection. Experiments utilizing short lifetime dot stereograms demonstrated that these particular binocular enhancements of vection were due to the motion of stereoscopically defined features.