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Conference publications

Abstracts

XXIII conference

Size of the Müller-Lyer illusion depends on the difference in the length between the segments in its configuration

Tolmacheva E.A.

Bolshoy Karetny per. 19, build.1, Moscow 127051 Russia

1 pp. (accepted)

The purpose of the study was to investigate how the size of the Müller-Lyer illusion depends on the initial difference in the length between the segments in its configuration. The participants were children 7-8 years old (n=39) and adults 20-30 years old (n=39). The measurements were performed using interactive software that allowed controlling the length of a test line to make it equal to the reference line (Rozhkova et al., 2005). There were 20 samples with modified configurations of the Müller-Lyer illusion for each participant presented on the screen of the monitor. The values of the initial mismatch in the length between the test and the reference lines in modifies configurations of the illusion that have been presented to the participants were 0, 8, 16, 24 и 40%. The testing procedure was performed for the right and the left eye separately.

According to the results obtained the mismatch between the objective and perceived properties of this illusion depends on the initial difference in the length between the segments in its configuration. In the group of adult participants the power of the Müller-Lyer illusion has been enhanced in proportion to an increase in the initial difference in the lengths between the test and the reference lines in its configuration. In the group of children an aggravation in the power of the illusion was detected when the initial mismatch in the length of the test and the reference lines was increased from 0 to 8% as well as from 16 to 24%. The same results were demonstrated for both the right and the left eye. In case of the usual length estimation by sight, precision of estimation did not sufficiently depend on primary conditions of the task. The data of our experiments have confirmed the hypothesis of Gregory that the Müller-Lyer illusion is a consequence of the spatial constancy mechanism that allows us to perceive a proper size of visual objects irrespective to their retinal projections.

References.

1. Rozhkova G. I., Tokareva V. S., Ognivov V. V., Bastakov V. A. Geometrical Visual Illusions and Constancy Mechanism of Size Perception in Children // Sensory Systems Vol. 19, №1. 2005. Pp. 26-36.



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