ABSTRACT
In the field of self-motion or vection research, considerable effort has been concentrated on determining the region of the retina most necessary for the perception of self-motion. Noting the distribution of different types of receptors across the retina, researchers such as Dichgans, Brandt and Held have examined the effect of stimulating various areas of the retina on the perception of self-motion. While evolution can reasonably be assumed to have shaped the various receptor distributions on the retinae of different species, it is the environment itself which has dictated the direction in which evolutionary pressure would be applied. Unfortunately, it is precisely the environment, i.e., the type and nature of the stimulation being provided, that has been neglected in studies of self-motion and it is hoped that the following review will help point to the dangers inherent in such an approach. This chapter will begin with a description of typical self-motion research and a currently popular theory, and will follow with a discussion of the distinction between field of view and retinal region. An alternate, more ecological, approach will be proposed, and some supporting data for this provided.
