How Depth of Field in Screen Images Affects Egocentric Distance Perception

Abstract

In virtual environments (VEs) presented on flat screens, accurate egocentric distance perception is crucial for enhancing immersion. This study investigated depth of field-induced blur, typically perceived as an ordinal depth cue, to understand its role as a quantitative depth cue in VEs. We employed verbal judgment and position adjustment methods to quantify observers’ egocentric distance perception across various depth of field settings (n = 30 participants). Our analysis also examined the interplay between blur and other depth cues. Results indicated that increased blur in VEs leads to a greater underestimation of distances. Moreover, blur operates as a relatively independent depth cue, showing minimal interaction with other cues. These findings address a gap in research on the independent role of depth of field as a quantitative depth cue in VEs. This contributes to the visual design of VEs and supports the enhancement of user experience in human–computer interactions.

Keywords:

• Depth perception
• depth of field
• virtual environment

Acknowledgments

We express our gratitude to all the participants. Without their support and assistance, this study would have been difficult to complete.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work is supported by the Youth Foundation of Humanities and Social Sciences of the Ministry of Education in China under Grants 22YJC760001.

Notes on contributors

Yunchen Pu

Yunchen Pu is a master’s student at the School of Art Design and Media, East China University of Science and Technology. His research interests include visual cognition in virtual environments (VEs) and human–computer interaction.

Dadi An

Dadi An is an associate professor at East China University of Science and Technology. He is a Tongji University graduate and was a visiting scholar at Kyushu University and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. His research interests include environmental behavior, walkability, urban furniture, and guidance system design.