Which visual cue helps us perceive an object as closer when it covers another object?

The visual cue that helps us perceive an object as closer when it covers another object is interposition. This phenomenon occurs because when one object overlaps another, the object that is obscuring is perceived as being closer to the viewer, while the covered object is understood to be farther away. This is a crucial depth perception mechanism that our brain uses to interpret spatial relationships in our environment.

Interposition is a straightforward cue and can be easily observed in daily life; for example, if a tree partially blocks the view of a house behind it, the tree will be perceived as being in front of, and thus closer to the observer than the house. This kind of visual processing assists us in understanding the relative locations of objects within a three-dimensional space.

Other options like relative size or linear perspective also contribute to depth perception, but they involve different mechanisms. Relative size relies on the assumption that smaller objects are perceived as being farther away, while linear perspective deals with the visual convergence of parallel lines as they recede into the distance. Depth cues encompass a range of visual indicators, but interposition specifically highlights the importance of overlapping objects in conveying distance.