Distortions In Perception (visual Illusions)

Question 1

Fallibility in visual perception-the tendency to make mistakes

Answer 1

Our perception is not infallible. Our perception can be inaccurate due to expectations due to prior experiences.

Question 2

Visual illusions

Answer 2

Our perception differs/conflicts from the objects reality. The illusion is created by a misinterpretation of the reality of a visual stimulus. 

Question 3

Muller Layer illusion

Answer 3

The muller layer illusion
Is the misinterpretation of true lines of equal length each with different shaped ends.
One line has arrowheads while the other line has feather tails .

Question 4

Biological expectation of Muller Lyer

Answer 4

Biological depth cue of convergence, which involves sensory information being interrupted by the brain based on changes in muscle tension surrounding the eyes

Arrow head = eyes turn in woods = more tension =shorter

Feather head =eyes turn out woods =less tension =longer

Question 5

Social explanation: Carpentered world hypothesis

Answer 5

Culture is another proposed explanation of the muller illusion.

Places a strong empathy on our 3-D perceptions modern buildings

Suggest set the perception of the two lines is influenced by onee familiarity with modern western designs.

External wall =arrow heads =closer =shorter

Internal =feather tails=far=longer Gorgeous

Question 6

Apparent distance theory

Answer 6

• even though both lines are the same on our retina our brain accommodates for distance.
  use size constanc. in whitch the retinal images it receives the processed to determine the actual size of the object.

If true objects cost the same size retinal image but one is perceived to be further away our brain interprets the more distant object as being larger

Question 7

Evaluation of both explanations

Answer 7

Both the carpentered-world theory and the apparent dist birth the carpenter world theory and the apparent distance theory are limited at explaining the muller Lyer illusion.

Familiarity with western building designs

Question 8

Ames room illusion

Answer 8

This illusion occurs when a person views two people in a specific aim room through a peephole using only one eye.

Eg. The person on the left of the room looks to be much tinier than the person on the right side of the room.

The illusion occurs because the shape of the room has been constructed in a specific way in order to trick our visual perceptual systems

Binocular depth cues

Question 9

Ames room explanation

Answer 9

Ames room illusion is often explained with reference to perceptual constancy observer has no access to binocular depth cues and is forced to view the room with one eye through a hole therefore cannot perceive that the far left corner of the room is actually further away.

This shape is maintained in the observers brain by shape constancy. The illusion is reinforced by top down processing when the observer has been raised in a culture in which rooms tend to be rectangular. This is what they expect to see.

Question 10

Spinner dancer illusion

Answer 10

This is an illusion in which dancer can be perceived as spinning clockwise or anticlockwise. Disability to spontaneously switch between two different interpretations of the same ambiguous visual stimulus is called bistable perception