Effect of practice versus information on the visual illusion

Abstract

Objective

The Müller-Lyer illusion is a visual illusion in which a horizontal shaft with an inward-pointing chevron (fins-out) affixed to each end is perceived longer than a shaft with outward-pointing chevrons (fins-in). The goal of this study was to compare the effects of experience and knowledge about the Müller-Lyer illusion on participants’ perceptual precision.

Method

Participants were undergraduate students (n = 108) who were not familiar with the Müller-Lyer illusion prior to the experiment. The task of participants was to adjust one movable line to make it equal to the other in Müller-Lyer figure. They received ascending and descending Müller-Lyer trials in three blocks with 20 trials each. The Experimental Group received information about the Müller-Lyer illusion prior to the third block.

Results

For the Experimental Group, the amount of departure in Block 3 was reduced significantly compared with previous blocks.

Conclusion

Knowledge about the mechanisms underlying visual illusions may play an important role in helping individuals overcome them.

摘要

目的

缪勒一莱尔错觉(Müller-Lyer illusion)是一种视错觉, 即一条水平线段两端加上向外的箭头(fins-out), 那么它看起来要比带有向内箭头(fins-in)的线段长些。 本研究的目的是比较练习和有关知识对缪勒一莱尔错觉受试者感知精确度的不同影响。

方法

受试者为 事先对缪勒一莱尔错觉不了解的大学生(共108人, 其中对 照组20 人), 他们被要求在缪勒一莱尔模型中调整一条可移动线段的长度, 使其与另一条线段的长度相同。 受试者要接受缪勒一莱尔递增测试和递减测试。 测试共分三个阶段, 每阶段20 次(10 次递增测试, 10 次递减测试)。 在第三阶段测试开始前, 实验组学习了缪勒一莱尔错觉的有关知识。

结果

在实验组中, 第三阶段测试的偏差明显小于前两阶段。

结论

了解视错觉机制的有关知识对于帮助人们纠正视错觉很重要。