minification

   Also known as perceptual minification. Both terms are indebted to the Latin adjective minimus, which means smallest. They are used to denote the process by which visually perceived objects or stimuli appear to decrease in size. Minification can occur either physiologically (as in * convergence micropsia) or in the context of pathology. In the latter case, it is associated etiologically with conditions such as lesions to the right temporo-parietal cortex, migraine, epileptic seizures, macular oedema, optic chiasm lesions, infectious diseases, and intoxications with illicit substances such as cannabis, Amanita muscaria, mescaline, and LSD. When minification sets in gradually rather than abruptly, it is called * zoom vision. When objects are repeatedly minified and magnified in the course of seconds, the term * pulsation phenomenon applies. Sometimes the term miniaturization is used as a synonym for minification, but the term miniaturization is properly applied to the process of making an object physically smaller rather than making it appear smaller. The term minification is used in opposition to the term *magnification.

   References

   Meehan, J.W., Smith, G., Day, R.H. (1994). Pseudophakes experience apparent minifica-tion in an imaging display. Perception, 23, 1063-1068.