On stereoscopic depth perception.

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Abstract
Experiments on stereoscopic depth perception based upon the falling-sphere experiment of van der Meulen and van Dooremaal in which one eye saw the upper half of the fall and the other eye the lower half of the fall are described. Data show that a valid stereoscopic depth experience necessitates that a portion of the object be seen binocularly with the stimulation of horizontally associated retinal elements in the 2 eyes. Horizontally associated retinal elements may include a certain vertical disparity between the images in the 2 eyes. The experiments suggest that there are 2 aspects of stereoscopic depth perception: (1) an obligatory or quantitative sense of depth that necessitates the simultaneous stimulation of horizontally associated disparate retinal elements and (2) a more vague qualitative or facultative percept of depth also arising from disparate images but not dependent upon specifically associated retinal elements. The obligatory stereoscopic depth is a true stereoscopic sensation of depth, precise, valid, that is to say, the depth interval is related to the magnitude of the disparity within the limits of a neuro-anatomical organization of the 2 retinas and the brain. The facultative depth experience, on the other hand, seems confined only to a "farther" or "nearer" percept relative to the point fixated. The response would be a psycho-physical reaction to the disparity between the images as one of the empirical clues or motives for depth perception. True stereoscopic depth therefore would be said to rest upon a physiological basis limited by the neuro-anatomical organization of the retinas with the brain.

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