Experiments are described which support the theory that the perception of a plane receding in depth is based on a process of construction. Displays were created which eliminated direct or higher-order stimulus information concerning the orientation of a plane, such as texture gradients or perspective. Instead, objects and the shadows they cast sufficed to suggest and support a depth interpretation. The perceived location of objects on this constructed plane affects size perception thereby providing evidence for a computational rather than a direct theory of constancy.
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