Abstract
By adjusting the orientation of, and separation between, two free-standing dots, Ss indicated directions and distances associated with the Poggendorff display (a transversal interrupted by parallel lines). Judged distance between parallels (with transversal absent) increased slightly when additional interior parallels were added; this Oppel effect can be interpreted as contour repulsion. Errors in judging the orientation of an actual transversal segment were too small to account for the Poggendorff effect. The usual large errors occurred for estimates of the orientation of the missing transversal segment between the parallel lines. Cognitive mistracking adequately describes the Poggendorff effect. Mistracking is a function of the angle subtended between transversal and parallels, and of the orientation of the entire display.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Appelle, S. Perception and discrimination as a function of stimulus orientation: The “oblique effect” in man and animals.Psychological Bulletin, 1972,78, 266–278.
Blakemore, C., Carpenter, R. H. S., &Georgeson, M. A. Lateral inhibition between orientation detectors in the human visual system.Nature, 1970,228, 37–39.
Brindley, G. S.Physiology of the retina and the visual pathway. London: Arnold, 1960.
Burns, B. D., &Pritchard, R. Geometrical illusions and the response of neurons in the cat’s visual cortex to angle patterns.Journal qf Physiology, 1971,213, 599–616.
Cornsweet, T. N., &Pinsker, H. M. Luminance discrimination of brief flashes under various conditions of adaptation.Journal of Physiology, 1965,176, 294–310.
Day, R. H. The Poggendoff illusion with obtuse and acute angles.Perception & Psychophysics, 1973,14, 590–596.
Festinger, L., Burnham, C. A., Ono, H., & Bamber, D. Efference and the conscious experience of perception.Journal of Experimental Psychology Monograph, 1967,74(4, Whole No. 637).
Gillam, B. A depth processing theory of the Poggendorff illusion.Perception & Psychophysics, 1971,10, 211–216.
Green, R. T., &Hoyle, E. M. The influence of spatial orientation on the Poggendorff illusion.Acta Psychologica, 1964,22, 348–366.
Gregory, R. L. Distortion of visual space as inappropriate constancy scaling.Nature, 1963,199, 678–679.
Hotopf, W. H. N., &Ollerearnshaw, C. The regression to right angles tendency and the Poggendorff illusion. I.British Journal of Psychology, 1972a,63, 359–367.
Hotopf, W. H. N., &Ollerearnshaw, C. The regression to right angles tendency and the Poggendorff illusion. II.British Journal of Psychology, 1972b,63, 369–379.
Imai, S. Experiments on Poggendorff illusion.Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities (JIMBUN GAKUHO) Tokyo Metropolitan University, 1973,90, 1–39.
Krantz, D. H., &Weintraub, D. J. Factors affecting perceived orientation of the Poggendorff transversal.Perception & Psychophysics, 1973,14, 511–517.
Leibowitz, H., &Toffey, S. The effect of rotation and tilt on the magnitude of the Poggendorff illusion.Vision Research, 1966,6, 101–103.
Pressey, A. W. An extension of assimilation theory to illusions of size, area and direction.Perception & Psychophysics, 1971,9, 172–176.
Pressey, A. W., &Sweeney, O. Some puzzling results on the Poggendorff illusion.Perception & Psychophysics, 1972,12, 433–437.
Pritchard, R. M. Visual illusions viewed as stabilized retinal images.Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 1958,10, 77–81.
Quina, K., &Pollack, R. H. Attraction of parallels as a function of intercontour distance.Perceptual & Motor Skills, 1973,36, 934.
Robinson, J. O.The psychology of visual illusion. London: Hutchinson University Library, 1972.
Sekuler, R. Spatial vision. In M. R. Rosenzweig and L. W. Porfer (Eds.),Annual review of psychology. Palo Alto: Annual Reviews, 1974. Pp. 195–232.
Tong, L., &Weintraub, D. J. Contour displacements and tracking errors. Probing twixt Poggendorff parallels.Perception & Psychophysics, 1974,15, 258–268.
Virsu, V. Tendencies to eye movement, and misperception of curvature, direction, and length.Perception & Psychophysics, 1971,9, 65–72.
Weintraub, D. J., &Krantz, D. H. The Poggendorff illusion: Amputations, rotations, and other perturbations.Perception & Psychophysics, 1971,10, 257–264.
Yarbus, A. L.Eye movements and vision. New York: Plenum Press, 1967.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Support was provided by a United States Publich Health Service Research Scientist Development Award (K2-MH-35,253) to D. J. Weintraub. Research funds were provided by National Science Foundation Grant GB8181.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Weintraub, D.J., Tong, L. Assessing Poggendorff effects via collinearity, perpendicularity, parallelism, and Oppel (distance) experiments. Perception & Psychophysics 16, 213–221 (1974). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03203931
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03203931