Reality is subject to the interpretation we make of it. This allows us to understand the different events that happen in the course of daily life. In this sense, what may be brilliant for us may not be brilliant for someone else, since there is no single truth about a situation. Optical illusions also have a clear relationship with this topic, since our interpretation can be modified depending on the perception we have of an image.
There are many optical illusions in life, but there is one that arouses the curiosity of many people. In this Psychology-Online article, we will provide you with information about What is the Müller-Lyer illusion and why does it occur?.
What is the Müller-Lyer Illusion?
The Müller-Lyer illusion, coming from geometry, is a type of illusion that consists of misperception of the length of an image with arrows. In other words, it is the optical illusion that occurs when observing two straight lines with arrows with different orientations. In one of the lines the arrows point inward, while in the other the arrows go to the ends of each side, as seen in the previous image.
Likewise, the most important fact about the Müller-Lyer illusion is that the line with arrows pointing towards the ends makes us believe that it is a line that is longer than the other. However, the reality is that, although they may seem different, both lines measure the same.
Why the Müller-Lyer Illusion occurs
The Müller-Lyer illusion consists of because of the perception we have of the phenomena that are presented to us. The function of vision acquires great relevance in this aspect, since there is a tendency to think that the same line can be longer or smaller depending on the direction taken by the arrows located on it.
When this happens, our brain focuses on the information that the extremes give it of the same image. For this reason, it is possible that two lines of equal size appear different in size depending on the direction in which the arrows point.
In this way, if the arrows point outwards our brain will think that it is a larger line. On the contrary, when the arrows point towards the internal part we will perceive a reduction in length.
Influence of culture on the Müller-Lyer illusion
As we have mentioned previously, the Müller-Lyer illusion focuses on optical illusions caused by straight figures. However, this illusion can be applied to various cultural areas in which this occurs.
In today’s society, driven by capitalist customs based on consumerism, a series of inventions have been made to modify the formats of different objects with linear and rectangular shapes in which the Müller-Lyer illusion is presented. The objective of these modifications is for consumers to think that they have purchased products with different sizes, even though they have the same size or quantity of product.
On the other hand, it is worth highlighting two factors that affect the Müller-Lyer optical illusion:
The experiences
Our perception is not a phenomenon we are born with, but rather it is built over time from the personal experiences we have had over the years. For example, if a person has never been in contact with two objects with similar dimensions that have different endings, it is possible that he perceives them as if they were the same.
The sociohistorical moment
We cannot ignore the influence of the world in which we live and the consumption patterns caused by the rise of a period marked by need to obtain objects that create the illusion of completeness and perfection.
In general, we live tormented by the idea that we are always missing something to feel that we have achieved happiness. For this reason, experts in the production of the material sold in supermarkets and large stores use this Müller-Lyer optical illusion to their advantage to create objects of equal size and different finishes.
Image: slideshare
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Bibliography
- Cubero, M. (2005). A cultural analysis of perceptual processes. Yearbook of Psychology Magazine, 36 (3), 261-280.
- Lazzari, L.L., Moulia, P.I., Gervasoni, A. (2016). Contributions of optical illusions to different fields of geometry. Cuadernos del Cimbage, 18 (1), 81-107.
- Pacheco Unguetti, AP, De Fockert, J. (2011). How real do we see the world? Cognitive Science Magazine, 5 (3), 69-72.