Does perceptual adaptation to telestereoscopically enhanced depth depend on the recalibration of binocular disparity?

Apparent depth is significantly reduced after viewing a rotating three-dimensional form through a system of mirrors which enhances binocular disparity by optically increasing the separation between the eyes. The change in depth perception has previously been interpreted in terms of the adaptive recalibration of binocular disparity by kinetic sources of depth information. The present experiments showed that the same result is still obtained when either disparity or kinetic depth is absent during the exposure interval. The depth aftereffect failed to occur, however, when artificial pupils were used during binocular observation of the rotating form through the mirrors. These results demonstrate that the conflict between disparity and kinetic depth is neither necessary nor sufficient to produce the adaptive change in depth perception. A close association between depth and distance aftereffects was consistently found, suggesting that both types of perceptual change derive from the same underlying process. The accommodation system was implicated by the fact that the perceptual aftereffects were present following monocular exposure, but were absent under the artificial pupil exposure condition.