Depth Cue - GCSE Psychology Definition

A depth cue is a clue that our brain uses to understand how far away objects are in the world around us. It helps us perceive the three-dimensional world even though our eyes see images in two dimensions.

There are two main types of depth cues: monocular and binocular. Monocular depth cues rely on just one eye, e.g., height in plane is where objects positioned higher in your visual field are judged to be farther away. Binocular depth cues require both eyes and include things like the slight difference in images each eye sees, which is called retinal disparity.

By using these depth cues, our brain can figure out how near or far things are, helping us move around and interact with our environment safely.