What is the Titchener circles illusion?

In this illusion, two identical discs can be perceived as being different in size when one is surrounded by an annulus of smaller circles and the other is surrounded by an annulus of larger circles. This classic size-contrast illusion, known as Ebbinghaus or Titchener Circles Illusion, has a strong perceptual effect.

What did Victor Vasarely’s nested square illusion help scientists theorize?

Vasarely’s ‘nested-squares’ illusion shows that 90 degrees corners can be more salient perceptually than straight edges.

What type of illusion is the Ebbinghaus illusion?

The Ebbinghaus illusion or Titchener circles is an optical illusion of relative size perception.

How was phi phenomenon discovered?

Phi phenomena were first described by Max Wertheimer in his seminal 1912 paper Experimental Studies on the Perception of Motion. This discovery so intrigued Wertheimer that he continued research on what he considered to be “pure movement”—movement that does not involve perceiving the movement of any object.

Which psychologist has studied the phenomenon of figure background?

A History of Figure-Ground Perception During the 1920s, a number of German psychologists including Max Wertheimer and Wolfgang Kohler began studying different principles of perception that govern how people make sense of an often disorderly world.

Why do you think illusion research had a resurgence in the 2000s?

21st Century Fast forward to the early 2000s and there was a resurgence in illusion research, including looking at the strange way our brains process time. One school of thought suggests that some illusions highlight the way the brain constantly tries to predict what will happen.

Who invented the Ebbinghaus illusion in psychology?

Named for its discoverer, the German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus (1850–1909), the illusion was popularized in the English-speaking world by Edward B. Titchener in a 1901 textbook of experimental psychology, hence its alternative name.

Is the Ebbinghaus illusion dependent on context-sensitivity?

Neuroimaging research suggests an inverse correlation between an individual’s receptivity to the Ebbinghaus and similar illusions (such as the Ponzo illusion) and the highly variable size of the individual’s primary visual cortex. Developmental research suggests that the illusion is dependent on context-sensitivity.

Does Titchener circle contradict Ebbinghaus illusion (1898)?

It contradicts Ebbinghaus illusion (1898), aka Titchener Circles, and Obonai square illusion (1954). In fact, the central test shape (a cross) surrounded by large squares appears larger instead of smaller.