more on "Looming"; Force Science

Looming question : [In FSN #218 (12/7/12), Dr. Bill Lewinski, executive director of the Force Science Institute, and Force Science instructor Chris Lawrence discussed the perceptual phenomenon called "Looming," which makes vehicles driving directly toward you appear to be larger and moving faster than is actually the case. In response, a psychologist asks:]

Does the same perceptual phenomenon occur in a rapidly approaching human? 

Dr. H. Anthony

Wyndmoor, PA

Chris Lawrence replies:

I have talked about this with Dr. Alexis Artwohl, also a Force Science instructor. Our discussion fit the research on Looming in that it is believed to be part of our evolutionary survival mechanisms, designed to get us moving quickly from the path of approaching danger, such as a large animal bearing down to attack.

The size of the approaching object is a factor. The larger the object, the greater the impact on your visual field. A 250 lb. man can be two feet wide at the shoulders, where an approaching car can be six feet across. While the visual image of an approaching person will expand in a manner similar to the approaching car, the size of the image of a person will not cover as much of the viewer's retina as a vehicle, given the same distance away from the viewer.

Also, we become habituated to other people approaching us head-on, as on a crowded sidewalk or while walking through an airport terminal. However, change the context of the approaching person from mundane to menacing and the experience of the viewer may be very different than that of a witness viewing the event from a different perspective. Looming may also contribute to the startle response as you suddenly realize a large object is in front of you as you round a blind corner, for example. Unexpectedly your visual field is filled with an object you didn't expect.?

Researchers in London have documented that the Looming phenomenon is directly affected by the perception of threat. Viewers watching threatening objects coming toward them interpret the objects as being closer and moving faster than nonthreatening stimuli.

As the scientists report in the journal Current Biology, "[E]motion modulates some basic aspects of perception." For instance, people who fear heights tend to experience a "distorted perception of vertical distance," while those who are claustrophobic tend to misjudge the amount of space immediately surrounding them.

To access the full report of how Looming is affected by a perception of threat… (read more at the link):

http://www.psychology.emory.edu/cognition/lourenco/lab/Vagnoni%20Lourenco%20Longo%20%282012%29%20-%20Current%20Biology%20-%20SI%20included.pdf