Visual Illusions

• Visual Illusion

  Perceptual phenomena in which our perception of an object/scene does not match its physical reality
• Ambiguous Figures

  A type of visual illusion where there are two possible interpretations of the same image, and the brain cannot decide which one to choose
• Misinterpreted Depth Cues

  Objects in the distance that appear smaller are scaled up by our brain so they look normal in size. Sometimes the brain perceives distance when there isn’t any which creates a visual illusion.
• Fiction


  A type of visual illusion that causes the brain to perceive something that is not there
• Size Constancy

  The brain perceives familiar objects as a constant size despite the size of the image they produce on our retina changing with distance
• The Müller–Lyer Illusion

  • Misinterpreted depth cue
  • Two separate vertical lines of the same length, side by side, one with ingoing fins and the other with outgoing fins. People perceive the vertical line with outgoing fins as longer than the vertical line with ingoing fins

  
• The Ponzo Illusion

  • Misinterpreted depth cue
  • Two separate horizontal lines of the same length, one above the other, surrounded by two lines converging into the distance. People perceive the higher horizontal line as longer than the one below

  
• Rubin's Vase

  • An ambiguous figure.
  • Image of two faces and a vase in the same picture. Both are correct so your brain can’t decide which one it is.

  
• The Ames Room

  
  

  • Misinterpreted depth cue
  • Invented by Ames (1934)
  • Room looks normal but is actually the shape of a trapezoid. 
  • When two people stand on either side on the back wall, one appears to be much bigger than the other even though they are both the same size.