Directional Bias in the Perception of Cast Shadows

Previous studies have demonstrated that the perception of shading is based upon assumptions about lighting direction, for example, light from above. However, it is not clear whether these assumptions are used in the perception of cast shadows. Moreover, it is unclear whether a perceptual interaction exists between shading and cast shadows because until now they have been studied separately. In this study, we investigated through three experiments whether the light-from-above (or another direction) assumption is used in interpreting ambiguous cast shadows, and whether shading information influences the interpretation of cast shadows. Our results indicate the existence of the light-from-above assumption in interpreting cast shadows. Consistent shading information enhanced the interpretation, and judgments of lighting direction were also based on both cast shadow and shading information. However, the perceptual determination of shape from shading was relatively independent of the cast shadow interpretation or the lighting direction judgments of the scene.