Distortion of visual perceptions by illusions

A visual illusion is a misinterpretation of real sensory information.

Even when we know what we are looking at is an illusion, and even
understand why the illusion occurs, the illusion still persists.
Psychologists have enhanced their understanding of illusions by looking at
instances when the illusion fails to occur.
The Muller-Lyer Illusion is a visual illusion in which one of the two lines of
equal length, each of which has opposite shaped ends, in incorrectly
perceived as being longer than the other.
Psychologists have four explanations as to why we see the illusion:


Biological perspective:
Focusses on the biological/physiological influences on behaviour and mental processes including the brain
nervous system, the endocrine system, the immune system and genetics.
Eye-movement theory: because the feather end line is overall longer (see B line) than the arrow head line (see
A line) the amount of eye movement needed to view the line is more. Therefore we perceive the feather end line
as the longer line.

The eye movement theory was rejected when further studies showed that the illusion persisted even when there
were no eye movement at all.
Other possible theories include
o Specific brain areas are involved which may influence our perception
o Inborn (genetic) tendency to misperceive simple geometric patterns when they are viewed in 2D form
(as opposed to 3D)
Behavioural perspective:
Focusses on how behaviour is acquired or modified by environmental consequences such as rewards and
punishments.
Carpeted World Hypothesis: our past experience with the 3D world has led us to use angles and lines to judge
depth and distance. As a consequence the arrow-headed line looks like a nearer, outside edged corner and the
feather-headed line looks like a further away inside corner. Consequently the two lines appear to be at different
distances. When an individual looks at the Muller-Lyer illusion the brain overrides any perception that the lines
are the same length and the individual perceive the lines feather-tailed line as being longer.


Socio-cultural perspective:
Focuses on the roles for social and cultural influences on human behaviour and mental processes.
o The following results from studies suggest an environmental influence
o Zulu African groups (who live in round houses/no corners) are less likely to perceive the illusion.
o White American children are more likely to perceive the illusions compared to Zambian children
o Zambian children who live in urban areas are more likely to perceive the illusion compared to Zambian
children who live in rural area.
Conflicting studies have found that it is not the environment, but rather other factors such as education, training
or race
o Little to no difference found between Aboriginal groups who live in carpeted and non-carpeted areas.
o Little to no difference between Aboriginal and European Australians
No specific socio-cultural explanation, but socio-cultural factors and personal experience obviously play a role in
perceiving the illusion.






Cognitive perspective:
Focuses on how we acquire, process, remember and use information about ourselves and the world around us
Misapplication of size constancy: we make the (mental) assumption that the lines are of different distance away.
This leads us to make an interpretation that when two lines appear to be at different distances and cast retinal
images of equal size, then the line that appears the furthest away (feather-tailed) must be longer.
Correct Application of size
constancy
Misapplication of size
constancy





Size constantcy: recognising
that objects actual remains
the same even though the
image cast on the retina
changes.

Here the man is getting
further away. Though the
image of the man that is cast
of the retina is getting
smaller, we are aware the the
person themselves are not
shrinking.

When the two lines are
presented, we make the
mental assumption that
they must be different
distances away from each
other.

When images cast the
same size image on the
retina (like the top half
pictures) we can see that it
makes it look like one
man/monster is quite
bigger than the other
man/monster.

We apply the same
principle to the Muller-Lyer
lines the feather-ended
line is assumed to be
further away and therefore
bigger than the arrow-
ended line which we
mentally assume as being
closer to us.

Limitation of this theory include:
o The illusion working equally as well when he lines are horizontal rather than vertical
o Other variations of the illusion which used different ends are also equally effective.
(the feather/arrow like ends are not necessary to produce the illusion)