Size matters: How reaching and vergence movements are influenced by the familiar size of stereoscopically presented objects

The knowledge about the usual size of objects—familiar size—is known to be a taken into account for distance perception. The influence of familiar size on action programming is less clear and has not yet been tested with regard to vergence eye movements. In two experiments, we stereoscopically presented everyday objects, such as a credit card or a package of paper tissues, and varied the distance as specified by binocular disparity and the distance as specified by familiar size. Participants had to fixate the shown object and subsequently reach towards it either with open or with closed eyes. When binocular disparity and familiar size were in conflict, reaching movements revealed a combination of the two depth cues with individually different weights. The influence of familiar size was larger when no visual feedback was available during the reaching movement. Vergence movements closely followed binocular disparity and were largely unaffected by familiar size. In sum, the results suggest that in this experimental setting familiar size is taken into account for programming and executing reaching movements while vergence movements are primarily based on binocular disparity.