Image retargeting methods adapt an image for displays with different sizes and aspect ratios. Methods are based on the assumption that some kinds of distortions are preferable to others. While a rich variety of literature exists on retargeting methods, there is little codified understanding of how these distortions are perceived. This paper shows that peoples' perception of image distortions is complex. We report an initial study exploring the phenomenon that shows that even in a simple form of distortion, perception depends on a myriad of factors including amount of distortion, image content, and the viewer’s cultural background. These initial findings have ramifications for the design and evaluation of image retargeting, and suggest that a more thorough study is necessary.

@InProceedings{NLLG10a,
  author       = "Niu, Yuzhen and Liu, Feng and Li, Xueqing and Gleicher, Michael",
  title        = "The Complexity of Perception of Image Distortion: An Initial Study",
  booktitle    = "Proceedings of ACM CHI",
  month        = "apr",
  year         = "2010",
  note         = "extended abstract",
  url          = "http://graphics.cs.wisc.edu/Papers/2010/NLLG10a"
}