Abstract
The studies of visual illusions provide a wide scope of rational approaches toward the way of proper optimization of such distortions in everyday life. The area of the research props up against the Muller-Lyer illusion and its correlation with the normal conditions for an individual. This study provides a brief explanation of the main ideas in the research and major constituents of its organizational framework along with the experiment and methodology. The notion of Muller-Lyer illusionary feature maintained in form of two lines ended with inward and outward fins is provided from the side of previous studies in this field and general assumptions as of rational explanation of it. The whole structure of the study encompasses both theoretical and practical approaches of main details about the research.
Introduction
This study is aimed at describing and evaluating the illusions and their reflections in the optical features and distant cues. Here the point on the Muller-Lyer eponymous phenomena is at the core of the research. The ability of people to believe in the hat they see cannot be a background for the assumption that everything that they see is true. Here the psychological approach toward the sphere of illusionary objects and their rational explanation becomes necessary. Different models for building a rationale as of illusion as an optical phenomenon is still one of the highly discussed themes in the sphere of today’s popular psychology and neuroscience as well. According to Kitayama & Cohen (2007), cultural differences in perception within individuals fall into their cognitive capacity to evaluate normal-sighted objects differently. This idea is included in the study so that to outline the outcomes of the experiment. Moskowitz (2005) explains the Muller-Lyer illusion effect as a result of the incorrect perception of the length of a line due to the surrounding features. This effect can be demonstrated on the examples of two arrows of similar length but with fins provided in different directions as for the lines. All in all, the research investigates the history of such invention in psychology, the main questions according to the subject of the study, argumentative base for it, literature review, methods and materials for the experiment, and the application questionnaire.
Historical background of illusion
Wade & Tatler (2005) in their research point out that the beginning of the first researches in illusion is stated in the late nineteenth century when the current epoch was closer to the psychological explanation of different phenomena in peoples’ behaviors. Moreover, the era of Positivism contributed to such straightforwardness in thinking and exploration. The more glimpses at the illusions invoked interest among most of the researchers in the field of psychological and physiological peculiarities of a man’s essence. Wundt founded his Psychological Institute in 1879, and since that time the notion of illusion gains more and more explanatory coloring (Wade & Tatler, 2005). Muller-Lyer’s visual illusion is considered to be the gravest example of how individuals can be deceived using optical features of distance and extent of light. There are a lot of studies that researched the area of Muller-Lyer illusion in terms of its implementation to the real conditions in life and its perception by individuals.
Explanation of Muller-Lyer effect
Visual illusions are the optical phenomena that emerge when the distance and current lighting of an object seems to be of different size in comparison with real parameters. Muller-Lyer phenomena in this respect outline the fact that eyes may deceive a man in terms of previously provided knowledge as of the environment and rational approach toward things surrounding an individual. Nevid (2008) describes the Muller-Lyer illusion in its two main components, namely: two figures differing in their inward and outward wings. Here the same length of the central lines confronts with the additional length of outward wings in one of two figures. Thus a viewer may at once suppose that “outward” figure is longer. Nevertheless, the figure with inward fins is presupposed with the outward corner of a room; the figure with outward fins creates an impression of the inner corner of a room (Nevid, 2008).
A lack of objective knowledge about the illusion as an effect leads to optical deceit. In turn, it can lead to misunderstanding which appears afterward in real conditions.
Previous studies on Muller-Lyer
Since the idea of illusion in normal conditions is quite popular among scholars, thus, the researches as of the theme are highlighted in various studies by different scholars. Grossenbacher (2001) began making comparative analyses about the peculiarities of visual illusion in action. The author tried to compare the researches of previous scholars so that to determine the dynamics of the Muller-Lyer illusion in terms of psychological science and its significance for it. In his research, the incorrect perception of length within two arrows was influenced by the visual illusion at the endpoints of figures after looking at the figure for two seconds (Grossenbacher, 2001). Eysenck (2004) extended the area of the research in its argumentative features. Thus, the author applied the vertical-horizontal illusions of Muller-Lyer to the extent of cross-cultural differences in the perception of such visual patterns. This idea was continued by Kitayama & Cohen (2007). This study was one of the latest according to the idea of Muller-Lyer illusion.
Participants
For the promotion of the experiment, the number of 12 participants will be enough to possibly fix the readings for their evaluation of the arrows outlined in the Muller-Lyer model. It is conducted voluntarily. All participants are more than 18 with the proportion of 6 male and 6 female representatives. The main requirement for the participants is to take down notes contemplating the answer to the question about the length of both arrows within few seconds. Then they should explain their choice.
Experimental method
The questionnaire for the experiment will be conducted at the beginning of it with close-ended questions aimed at working out of participants’ general awareness of visual illusions. It will be performed in the form of a slide show with relevantly short intervals so that to concentrate participants’ attention on the quickness of provided tasks for the relevant objectiveness of the gained results. Each answer will be gathered for the report with conclusions and recommendations.
Questionnaire
- Have you ever been a victim of visual illusions?
- Do you think that illusion can be neglected in reality?
- Does knowledge about illusions serve as an instructor?
- Do you believe that you may be deceived just now using illusions?
- Can you quickly evaluate the nature of visual phenomena?
- Are you ready to check all your capacities in this field?
Reference
Eysenck, M. W. (2004). Psychology: An International Perspective. London: Taylor & Francis.
Grossenbacher, P. G. (2001). Finding consciousness in the brain: a neurocognitive approach. New York, NY: John Benjamins Publishing Company.
Kitayama, S. & Cohen, D. (2007). Handbook of cultural psychology. New York, NY: Guilford Press.
Moskowitz, G. B. (2005). Social cognition: understanding self and others. New York, NY: Guilford Press.
Nevid, J. S. (2008). Psychology: Concepts and Applications (3rd ed.). Stamford, Conn: Cengage Learning.
Tatler, B. W. & Wade, N. (2005). The moving tablet of the eye: the origins of modern eye movement research. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Wade, N. & Swanston, M. (2001). Visual perception: an introduction (2nd ed.). Los Angeles, CA: Psychology Press.