Effect of the field of view on perceiving world-referenced image motion during concurrent head movements

We have previously shown that concurrent head movements impair head-referenced image motion perception when compensatory eye movements are suppressed (Li, Adelstein, & Ellis, 2009) [16]. In this paper, we examined the effect of the field of view on perceiving world-referenced image motion during concurrent head movements. Participants rated the motion magnitude of a horizontally oscillating checkerboard image presented on a large screen while making yaw or pitch head movements, or holding their heads still. As the image motion was world-referenced, head motion elicited compensatory eye movements from the vestibular-ocular reflex to maintain the gaze on the display. The checkerboard image had either a large (73°H × 73°V) or a small (25°H × 25°V) field of view (FOV). We found that perceptual sensitivity to world-referenced image motion was reduced by 20% during yaw and pitch head movements compared to the veridical levels when the head was still, and this reduction did not depend on the display FOV size. Reducing the display FOV from 73°H × 73°V to 25°H × 25°V caused an overall underestimation of image motion by 7% across the head movement and head still conditions. We conclude that observers have reduced perceptual sensitivity to world-referenced image motion during concurrent head movements independent of the FOV size. The findings are applicable in the design of virtual environment countermeasures to mitigate perception of spurious motion arising from head tracking system latency.

► We examined the effect of the field of view on perceiving image motion during head movements.
► Perceptual sensitivity to image motion was reduced by 20% during yaw and pitch head movements.
► This reduction in perceptual sensitivity did not depend on the display FOV size.
► The findings are applicable in the design of VE countermeasures to head tracking system latency.