9.2 Flashcards
Explain what the Müller-Lyer illusion is
a visual illusion in which one of two lines of equal length, each of which has opposite shaped ends, is incorrectly perceived as being longer than the other.
Give explanations of the Müller-Lyer illusion
- past experience. For example, it has been proposed that we experience the illusion because it contradicts what we have learned throughout life about physical reality. Therefore, we cannot make sense of the illusion whenever we view it, even after the illusion is explained to us.
- Our brain overrides information from the retinal images showing the two vertical lines as equal in length. Therefore, the line that appears further away (feather-tailed line) is perceived as longer.
What is the Ames room illusion?
a perceptual misinterpretation involving a trapezium-shaped room which appears rectangular when viewed through a peephole using only one eye and people appear small or large, depending on where they stand in the room
How does the Ames room illusion work?
The Ames room illusion involves a trapezium-shaped room that is longer and higher on one side than the other. When viewed through a peephole at the front of the room using only one eye, the room appears rectangular. The room’s unusual shape provides the basis for the illusion. When observing a person standing in the right corner at the back of the room, the image of that person which is cast on the retina is larger because the person is twice as close to the observer (compared to a person standing in the back left corner). In addition, the ceiling slopes upwards from the right upper corner to the left upper corner of the room. This increases the height of the ceiling from right to left, which also helps ensure the illusion occurs.
What is the spinning dancer illusion?
a visual illusion in which the silhouette of a female dancer can be interpreted as spinning either clockwise or anti-clockwise
Explain how the spinning dancer illusion works
It works by removing all depth cues such as the use of shadows and therefore the brain cannot perceive which direction the image is actualy spinning
