Monday 19 November 2007

A Psychological Optical Illusion


The influence of culture and environment can have an effect on our visual perception. This theory was first explored by Robert Laws, a Scottish missionary working in Malawi, Africa, during the late 1800's.

Take a look at the picture above. What you see will largely depend on where you live in the world. After you have examined the picture, read the Eyes and Vision website for a more detailed explanation.

2 comment(s):

Anonymous said...

"When scientists showed a similar sketch to people from East Africa, nearly all the participants in the experiment said she was balancing a box or metal can on her head."

"A similar sketch"? Why not the same one? Because in this picture, it's pretty obvious that it's not a box, since the lines moving outward disappear behind what I see as the wall. Unless the box doesn't have straight angles.

John Sadowski said...

inneresting.