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Sarah Hansen

Mrs. Stevens & Mrs. Radcliffe

Life Science

13 January 2017

How Does Binocular Vision and Monocular Vision Affect your Reading Comprehension?

Did you know that the human eye has over two million working parts? Eyes can also

distinguish 2.7 million colors and around 500 shades of grey. Vision is one of those two million

working points and is the most important part of the eye. Can one of the most important parts in

your eye, vision, affect your reading comprehension? If I test binocular and monocular vision on

junior high students using reading comprehension tests, then the binocular test scores will be

higher.

How Do You Test Eye Dominance?

Eye dominance is very easy to test and there are many ways to test it. The most common

tests are the Miles Test and the Porta Test. The Miles Test is where you reach your arms in a V

shape in front of you, look through your arms, and focus on an object with one eye closed. Then,

slowly draw your hand back to you and a view window will be placed over your eye. Repeat by

closing the other eye. The other popular test is the Porta Test where you raise only one arm while

both of your eyes are open and you focus on an object. Close one eye and focus on that object.

Then repeat the test by closing the other eye. Whatever eye focuses on the object more is your

dominant eye (Eye).

What Is Binocular and Monocular Vision?

Binocular vision is vision using two eyes where the brain gets two images at the exact
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same time from both the eyes. Binocular vision helps us see how fast an object is moving and

how far away it is (Blaikie). According to Dictionary.com, binocular vision is Vision in which

both eyes are used synchronously to produce a single image (Definition). As Dr. Terry Gaunt

says binocular vision is having two eyes and being able to use both of them (Gaunt). While

binocular vision increases depth perception (Blaikie), monocular vision limits it. Monocular

vision is only being able to see out of one eye. Monocular vision does increase your field of

view. Field of view, as Dr. Alston says is, the observable world seen at any moment (Alston).

Monocular vision is having two eyes, but only being able to see out of one (Gaunt).

What Previous Experiments Have Been Done on Binocular and Monocular Vision?

Some previous experiments done on binocular and monocular vision includes an

experiment done by a team of scientists. They were testing to conclude if monocular or binocular

vision could see if someone is going blind. This experiment was tested on the elderly from ages

65 to 84. The results were that there was a huge difference between the reading speeds,

binocular being better. Results also showed that binocular acuity is better than monocular acuity.

This also helped make a formula that predicts how well someone can see with monocular vision

based on their monocular vision (Rubin). Another experiment was tested on various gymnasts.

These gymnasts were tested to see if performance levels are the same by using binocular and

monocular vision. The results showed that binocular vision, or using two eyes is not necessary

for performing handsprings on a vault (Heinen).

How Does Environment Affect Vision?

Environment can affect vision in many ways and and is very important to keep in mind

when conducting experiments. Dr. Terry Gaunt tells us that, Brighter lights and the type of light
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can help sight. Also, if you are tired, stressed, or emotionally upset your eyesight can be

affected. Medication could also change the way you see (Gaunt). Bad eyesight genes from

parents are very common and age can definitely affect your vision. In fact your eyesight starts to

deteriorate after age twenty. Vitamins such as Vitamin A, C, E, zinc, omega-3, and antioxidants

can help improve vision. Exercise can help prevent diseases that will eventually harm or damage

your eyes. Eyesight can be very sensitive and even diabetes can destroy your vision (Get).

What is the Most Accurate Way to Test Reading Comprehension?

There are many accurate ways to test reading comprehension using different types of

passages. Normally narrative, informational, or poetic passages are used, and time helps to

pressure the persons reading speed. There are many different ways to respond to these reading

comprehension tests. Responses to these passages can be re-tellings, question-answering, and

cloze. Cloze is fill in the blank responses. Question-answering is either multiple choice or

open-ended questions. Re-tellings are stating what happened orally (Spear-Swerling). Most

reading comprehension tests make you read a passage and then answer some questions including

the types listed above (Reading).

What Is the Most Accurate Way to Test Monocular and Binocular Vision?

Each eye has a different view. Because of this the brain has to make a decision between

the information coming in from both eyes. A great way to test binocular and monocular vision is

by starting with centering an object that lines up with your nose. Then really focus your eye on

that object. Next, place your thumb in front of the object. Make sure the object lines up with your

nose. When you focus on the object, you will see two thumbs. When you focus on your thumb,

you will see two objects (Cooper).

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If I test binocular and monocular vision on junior high students using reading

comprehension, then the binocular test will score higher. By conducting this experiment, I will

see if you need two eyes in order to strongly complete and pass a reading comprehension test.

What I learned from researching these questions is that monocular and binocular vision is very

different and vision itself can be affected in many ways. Also, there are many ways to accurately

test eye dominance, reading comprehension, and monocular and binocular vision.
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Works Cited

Alston, Dr. "Monocular Vision: Definition & Explanation." Study.com. Study.com, 2016. Web.

01 Nov. 2016.

<http://study.com/academy/lesson/monocular-vision-definition-lesson-quiz.html>.

Blaikie, Andrew, Dr. "Binocular Vision." Binocular Vision. University of Edinburgh, n.d. Web.

26 Oct. 2016.

<http://www.ssc.education.ed.ac.uk/resources/vi&multi/eyeconds/binoc.html>.

Cooper, Rachel. ""Test Your Vision. Binocular? Stereoscopic?"" "Test Your Vision. Binocular?

Stereoscopic?" Magic Eye, Inc, 1995. Web. 08 Nov. 2016.

<http://www.vision3d.com/frame.html>.

"Eye Dominance For Archery - Easily Determine Yours Now." Eye Dominance For Archery.

Learn-Archery.com, 2015. Web. 03 Nov. 2016. Get Holistic Health. "What Factors

Affect Your Vision?" What Factors Affect Your Vision? N.p., 14 Nov. 2012. Web. 02

Nov. 2016. <http://www.getholistichealth.com/10468/what-factors-affect-your-vision/>.

Gaunt, Terry, Dr. Personal interview. 15 Nov. 2016.

Heinen, Thomas, and Pia M. Vinken. "Monocular And Binocular Vision In The Performance Of

A Complex Skill." Journal of Sports Science & Medicine. Asist Group, Sept. 2011. Web.

01 Nov. 2016. <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3737810/>.

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"Reading Assessment Techniques." - The Cognitive Foundations of Learning to Read: A

Framework. SEDL, 2015. Web. 06 Nov. 2016.

<https://www.sedl.org/reading/framework/assessment.html>.

Rubin, Gary S., Beatriz Munoz, Karen Bandeen-Roche, and Shelia K. West. "Monocular versus

Binocular Visual Acuity as Measures of Vision Impairment and Predictors of Visual

Disability | IOVS | ARVO Journals." Monocular versus Binocular Visual Acuity as

Measures of Vision Impairment and Predictors of Visual Disability | IOVS | ARVO

Journals. N.p., 2015. Web. 01 Nov. 2016.

<http://iovs.arvojournals.org/article.aspx?articleid=2123695>.

Spear-Swerling, Louise. "Assessment of Reading Comprehension." LD OnLine: The World's

Leading Website on Learning Disabilities and ADHD. N.p., 2015. Web. 06 Nov. 2016.

<http://www.ldonline.org/spearswerling/Assessment_of_Reading_Comprehension>.

Sussman, Martin. "The Three Factors That Affect Your Eyesight: From an Ongoing Series by."

The Three Factors That Affect Your Eyesight: From an Ongoing Series by. HealthWorld

Online, n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2016.

<http://www.healthy.net/Health/Essay/The_Three_Factors_that_Affect_Your_Eyesight/1

108>.

"The Definition of Binocular Vision." Dictionary.com. Houghton Mifflin Company., 2002. Web.

27 Oct. 2016. <http://www.dictionary.com/browse/binocular-vision>