Abstract
The effects of the length of the oblique lines and the distance between the test line and the obliques (expressed as framing ratio) on Ponzo illusion magnitude were assessed. The purpose of the study was to test depth-processing (Gillam, 1973; Gregory, 1970) and pool-and-store (Girgus & Coren, 1982) models of the Ponzo illusion. The data indicated that both oblique length and framing ratio affected illusion magnitude. This result did not provide unequivocal support for either the depth-processing models or the pool-and-store model. A recent revision of assimilation theory (Pressey & Wilson, 1980) is proposed to describe the effects of both oblique length and framing ratio.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Coren, S., &Girgus, J. S. (1978).Seeing is deceiving: The psychology of visual illusions. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Fisher, G. H. (1968). Gradients of distortion seen in the context of the Ponzo illusion and other contours.Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology,20, 212–217.
Gillam, B. (1973). The nature of size scaling in the Ponzo and related illusions.Perception & Psychophysics,14, 353–357.
Girgus, J. S., &Coren, S. (1982). Assimilation and contrast illusions: Differences in plasticity.Perception & Psychophysics,32, 555–561.
Gregory, R. L. (1970).The intelligent eye. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Jordan, K., &Schiano, D. J. (1986). Serial processing and the parallel lines illusion: Length contrast through relative spatial separation of contours.Perception & Psychophysics,40, 384–390.
Leibowitz, H., Brislin, R., Perlmutter, L., &Hennessy, R. (1969). Ponzo perspective illusions as a manifestation of space perception.Science,166, 1174–1176.
Libet, A. Q., Pollack, R. H., &Malatesta, V. J. (1980). Effects of wedge degradation on the magnitude of the Ponzo illusion.Bulletin of the Psychonomic Society,15, 371–374.
Pressey, A. W. (1972). The assimilation theory of geometric illusions: An additional postulate.Perception & Psychophysics,11, 28–30.
Pessey, A. W., Butchard, N., &Scrivner, L. (1971). Assimilation theory and the Ponzo illusion: Quantitative predictions.Canadian Journal of Psychology,25, 486–497.
Pressey, A. W., &DiLollo, V. (1978). Effects of distance between standard and comparison lines on the Müller-Lyer illusions.Perception & Psychophysics,24, 415–419.
Pressey, A. W., &Wilson, A. E. (1980). Assimilation theory and the Baldwin illusion.Italian Journal of Psychology,7, 65–73.
Quina, K., &Pollack, R. H. (1978). Effects of test line position and age on the magnitude of the Ponzo illusion.Perception & Psychophysics,12, 253–256.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Preparation of this report was supported by NASA Grant NCC-2-327 to San Jose State University, Kevin Jordan, Project Director.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Jordan, K., Randall, J. The effects of framing ratio and oblique length on Ponzo illusion magnitude. Perception & Psychophysics 41, 435–439 (1987). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03203036
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03203036