Variation of stereothreshold with random-dot stereogram density.

PURPOSE: Reports of dissimilar stereothresholds for contour and random-dot (RD) targets may reflect differences in stimulus properties or differences between local and global stereoscopic processing mechanisms. In this study, we evaluated whether the stereothresholds obtained using low- and high-density RD stimuli are consistent with a distinction between local and global disparity processing.
METHODS: Stereothresholds were measured in eight normal subjects for a small disparate line segment superimposed on RD surrounds with densities that ranged between 0.07 and 28.3%.
RESULTS: Stereothresholds averaged 0.23 arc min for an RD density of 0.39% and approximately doubled for lower and higher densities. The increase in stereothresholds at low densities is likely because of the increased spacing between elements, which reduces their usefulness as a reference for relative disparity judgments. The increase in stereothresholds at high densities is attributed to a crowding effect.
CONCLUSIONS: Because the stereothresholds measured with RD stimuli of low and high density are limited by different constraints, they can be considered to be different types of stereotargets. However, because the stereothresholds measured for RD targets of varying densities are similar to those determined previously for a local, two-rod stereotarget, it is likely that all these stimuli are processed by a single disparity-processing mechanism.