Axial hyperopia results when the length of the eye is too short for the eye to properly focus distance objects on the retina while the focusing system is relaxed. Emmetropization is the process by which the eye actively adjusts various components of the eye to gradually improve the focus of the eye. Emmetropization frequently involves either an increase or a decrease in the growth of the eye, particularly during infancy and childhood. Numerous animal studies suggest that if an animal is exposed to retinal images located behind the retina either centrally or peripherally, the eye will grow in the direction of the focused image. If an abnormally short eye has resulted in hyperopia, exposing such an eye to retinal images partially located behind the retina might encourage axial elongation, thus reducing the hyperopia.