Night vision goggles will cause which perceptual effect?

• A. A lack of depth perception
• B. 3D effect of distant objects
• C. Blinding light if suddenly entering a well-lit environment
• D. A shimmering beach on the horizon

Answer: (A)

Night vision goggles limit depth perception because they provide a flat, two‑dimensional image with a fixed focal plane. The brain normally judges distance using a combination of binocular disparity, motion parallax, and the eyes’ accommodation and vergence cues. NVGs distort or reduce these cues, especially since the image is produced and presented at a fixed focus and the two-eye input is not aligned with real-world depth changes. As a result, you can see shapes and movement clearly, but judging how far away objects are becomes unreliable.

This is why you’ll often be advised to rely on slow, deliberate movements and external reference points rather than guessing distance from the image alone. Briefly, if you ever notice a washout from bright light or other phenomena, those are separate considerations related to device brightness control or environmental factors, not the core perceptual change NVGs introduce.