Perception Psychology - Research Proposal Example

Perception psychology Elaborations for the cognitive basis of the Muller-Lyer illusion are still frustratingly mixed. Presently, theory of perceptual compromise has received little empirical attention. The study examines advantage of the perception hypothesis for the Muller-Lyer illusion by biasing participants in regard to the female and male accuracy, which are change processing level preference for a short time. The participants (N=39) were randomly allocated to the local conditions. Those local conditions were exposed to the stimuli for 5 minutes and the participants were demanded to report on the local stimulus features, correspondingly. Subsequently, participants completed a computerized Muller-Lyer experiment where they adjusted the underlying length of the line in order to match an illusory figure (Feldman, 2014). The illusion was significantly stronger for the participants with a global bias and significantly weaker for individuals with local bias, compared with the corresponding control condition. These finding offer empirical support to the t conflicting cues theory of perceptual compromise within the Muller-Lyer illusion. This experiment involved two main variables namely independent variable and dependent variable. The dependent variable was the average time it took the participants to adjust the line. The independent variable was the length of the second line as it kept changing throughout the experiment. Introduction The Muller-Lyer (1889) illusion consists of two similar lines that look dissimilar in length, due to the arrowheads or arrow tails fixed at the prevailing apexes of both lines. The line with the arrowheads is normally perceived as being relatively shorter as compared to the arrow tails. Several theories and experimental paradigms have been advanced to explain this illusion, such as misapplied size constancy, variations of the angle degree and length of arrowheads coupled with the central-tendency effects. This experiment involved two main variables namely the independent variable and dependent variable. The dependent variable was the average time it took the participants to adjust the line whilst the independent variable was the length of the second line as it kept changing throughout the experiment. Theory of perceptual compromise to elaborate visual illusions Muller-Lyer stipulates that Lyer illusion occur due to the underlying conflicting cues, where a compromise exists amidst the true lengths of the lines and the corresponding interracial distances and the length of the complete figures. Thus, the line arrow tails at its apexes appears relatively longer as compared to the arrowheads since the fins-out figure is larger overall, and the distance amidst the apices of the fins is bigger (Feldman, 2014). Even though the mechanism is less particular about how the line with arrowheads at its apexes, it seems like a natural extension to suggest that a shorter interapical distance result in a decrease of line estimation, as the bigger global feature is concentrated within the Centre. Perceptual compromise accounts for illusions developed by variations of the original Muller-Lyer figure.The visual processing applies paradigm of special stimuli. The stimuli support the contention that global processing depicts precedence over the corresponding local processing, which demands slower and more effortful mechanism. Method i. Design This experiment uses the method of adjustment to determine how much the Muller-Lyer illusion might distort an individual perception of relative line lengths. The upper lines were the standard stimulus line and were the same length throughput the experiment. The lower line is the comparison stimulus line, which is capable of making longer and the shorter lines than the standard. Adjusting the length of the comparison line enables appearance to match the length of the standard line ii. Participants The study sample of 39 participants, 27 females and 12 males with an average of aged 22 years took part in the experiment. Participants reported having normal or correlated to the normal vision and were naïve as to the actual purpose of the experiment. Unfortunately, certain participants failed to evidence an illusion with respect to the tails-figure, which is not a common experience in M-L illusion studies (Feldman, 2014). Moreover, the participants gave their written consent before the experiment and were treated in accordance with the local institution’s ethical guidelines. iii. Apparatus The experiment was basic using computers. This experiment involved two main variables, which we looked at the independent variable and dependent variable. The dependent variable was the average time it took the participants to adjust the line. The independent variable was the length of the second line as it kept changing throughout the experiment. The study recorded 55 students of varying ages of their time taken to complete the test. Of the 55 participants, 16 of them were male. Very little apparatus was needed for this study. A laptop was required to connect to the Internet to access an ERTSlab website. The website will contain the correct java script to enable the program to run smoothly enabling the participants to take part in the test iv. Procedure The studies procedure was very simple with just a few easy steps. The participants had to first log on to queens online and then click on learning home and then PSY1001. This brings you to a new page where there was a link week 5 laboratory practical. The link brought the participants to a page where they would carry out the test after they entered the unique code, which was found, on the laptop. Participants then carried out the test adjusting the lines until they thought they were equal in length. At the end the participants submitted their data and an average time was recorded. This time was then saved and stored in a group table with everyone else score. The data recorded was then used to produce a graph to illustrate what the results showed. Results A pronounced impact of the Muller-Lyer illusion on the use of the two-handed response within the manual approximation and the tasks occurred. Outward configuration was common in the two-handed response at relatively shorter shaft lengths as compared to the corresponding inward configuration. Important impact on the prevailing shaft length at 50% of the existing response was two-handed. Since the female and male participants did not differ expressively within their accuracy scores, the data were mainly combined to enable analysis of the whole accuracy. Gender Average Standard Deviation Male 22.7 29.7 Female 10.14 11.56 The score for the male group was 22.7 lower than the corresponding score of the female group, which was 29.7. Moreover, the error bars designates the prevailing standard deviations for both groups, which was male= 10.14 and female = 11.56. Discussion Bigger portion of the research assesses the effect of the visual illusion on the action and perception. Visual illusions possess a considerably smaller impact on the action as compared to the perceptual responses. Difference in the prevailing magnitude of the illusionary bias is mainly attributed to the underlying workings of the dorsal and ventral systems. This is due to the clear functional needs of the dual streams serve; visual information is transformed in egocentric and allocentric reference frames for the action and the corresponding perception. The independent variable is the fin angle that varies 15 degrees to corresponding 165 degrees, which were in eleven levels. Moreover, angles from underlying 15 degrees to corresponding 75 degrees in the creation of the fins within stimuli. The angles ranges to 105 to 165 degrees were utilized to develop fins out stimuli. The lengths are mainly measured within the pixels. Therefore, the adjustable line ought to be made relatively longer and shorter in order to develop a perceptual match within the existing illusory line. Computation of the difference in length, adjustable line length was subtracted from the corresponding length of the illusory line. Moreover, a positive difference depicts shorter illusory stimulus whilst negative difference depicts longer illusory stimulus. Non-zero differences designate errors in the length of the lines hence dependent variable in this experiment was the measure of the adjustment error The prevailing participants spent considerably more duration gazing the at the allocentric sources of information when approximating the shaft’s length as compared to the corresponding grasping of the object thus making the participants to take minimal time to fixating the centre of the underlying shaft. Female participants made significantly more gaze shifts amidst the two endpoints locations of the shaft thus resulting in a symmetrical distribution of the gazes amidst the tow endpoint locations of the prevailing shaft and more shifts amidst the approach location. The choosing of the participants utilizing either one or two was influenced by the existence of the illusion in the whole approximation task and the grasping task. Moreover, the participants exploited the allocentric information prior to commencing moving the manual approximation task and grasping task. Presence of illusion is mainly due to the conflict amidst the prevailing cues was significantly escalated for the female participants within the global group in comparison to the males in the control group. This is due to the tendency for the visual system to compromise amidst the global processing depicting that the perceptual compromise is shifted toward the while size of the figure. Conclusion The results depict that the differentiation amidst action and the corresponding perception of female and male is normally not restricted to the prevailing difference within the nature of processing mainly caused by dorsal and corresponding ventral systems. The functional requirements of action and perceptions take place in two streams. Moreover, the task specificity exists in both across the tasks and a temporal gaze. The independent variable is the fin angle that varies 15 degrees to corresponding 165 degrees, which were in eleven levels. Either adjustable line is arbitrarily set to 90 or corresponding 160 pixels on the underlying 640 by 480 pixel screen. Moreover, a positive difference depicts shorter illusory stimulus whilst negative difference depicts longer illusory stimulus. Non-zero differences designate errors in the length of the lines hence dependent variable in this experiment was the measure of the adjustment error. The plethora theory, empirical data on the Muller-Lyer illusion and associated visual phenomena are simple mechanistic elaborations that are implausible to apprehension the entire scope of their underlying neural or cognitive basis. Reference Feldman, R. S. (2014). Essentials of understanding psychology. Read More