What latent tendency is described by one eye deviating inward toward the nose?

The condition described by one eye deviating inward toward the nose is known as esophoria. This latent tendency indicates a tendency for the eye to turn inward unless the visual system is actively working to keep the eye aligned. Esophoria can occur when the eyes are at rest and may require a compensatory effort from the eye muscles to maintain proper binocular alignment during tasks such as reading or focusing on distant objects.

Understanding esophoria is essential in the context of vision training as it emphasizes the necessity for exercises that can help strengthen the eye muscles and improve coordination between the two eyes. It highlights how visual symptoms can arise from muscle imbalances or alignment issues, which are critical considerations in vision therapy or orthoptics.

In contrast, the other options refer to different conditions: exophoria indicates a tendency for one eye to turn outward, while hyperopia (farsightedness) and myopia (nearsightedness) describe refractive errors related to the shape of the eyeball and focusing ability, rather than eye muscle alignment.