,

Experiment No. 7

MUT.T.ER - LYER ILLUSION

Introduction
The Miiller-Lyer illusion was devised by Franz C~ l Milller-Lyer (1~57-1916), in
the year 1889. It is based on the Gestalt p rindp1es o f convergence and divergence: the
lines at the sides seem to lead the eye either inward or outward to create a false
impression of length. It is an optical illusion consisting of three stylized arrows.
When viewers are asked to place a mark on the figure at the midpoint, they tend to
place it more towards the "tail" end.
Things are not always seen as they exist in physically measured reality. In
Miiller-Lyer illusion, there is a tendency to underestimate the length of the arrow
headed line. The constant error gives the quantitative measure of the extent of
illu~ion. !he movement error is the bias which the subject may have for moving the
v~able lin~ outward (ascending series) as compared to moving it inward (descending
senes), or vice-versa.

Problem: To determine the extent of Muller-Lyer Illusion by the method of average error.

Hypothesis:
The extent of illusion vanes .th th dir .
Descending). W1 e ect1on of movement (Ascending ~

Variables:
Independent Variable: The direction to which th b. .
variable line. e su Ject vanes the length of t
Dependent Variable: The error committ db th .
e Y e subJect.
Materials:

1. Muller-Lyer Illusion Board.

2· Writing materials.

Plan:
Conduct the experun· .
It · em m two ·
a ernat:1vely. In each trial, the sub· . series i.e., Ascendin
standard length of 15 ems Ject manipulates the variabl . g and Descending serie:
. e stimulus to make it equal to th
Procedure:

The subject is made to sit comfortabl

from the subject and the Muller-L er Illusi y. The apparatus is place .
The subject is shown the standard :nd varia~7 Blinoard is adjusted to th! at aldistance of two fee
e es. eye evel of the subject
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 ;,,o 5eries
:
;1scef1d ~ . .
I{eep the var iab le line def init ely sh ort er th an the d .
. 1 . f h s~an ard line in the ascending series.
gth
ruct the suhJect to s ow ly inc rea se the len o t e van abl e li till h e feels 1t
. equal to the
. 1s
t Wh h b" g th ne
111s ard line.. en t e su Ject sto ps mo vin ' e 1eng th of th .b .
staOde standard Ii ne ts . not ed dow n by the exp . . e vana le line adjusted as equal
enm ent er with th e h e1P o f the scale provided
to th 'T' .
01v en in thi .
i.;nd the apparatus. 1. en tna ls are o· sse ne~
b~u

Descending Scries:
init I k
the len gth of the var iab le line is def dep t
1 ehr tlhan the standard line in the
ong
is ins tru cte d to slo :i
scending series. Th e sub jec
d
t
. Y ecre ase t e ength of the variable line till
de . al th the · bl li ad"Justecl as equal to the
e feels 1t equ to e sta n bard line. Th.e length of van a e ne
h · · dd th erim ent er with the hel p of the scale provided behind the
standard line ts n?t e o~ n Y e
apparatus. Ten tna ls are giv en her e also
exp
.
· ly
· n alternative
lI,
· 1s are give
(N ote : Th e asc end ing and the de seendi ng tna
to eliminate practice effect.)
Instructions:
Ascending S cries:
ains
bet we en the two arro w hea ds is the standard line and its length rem ,.,
"Th e ~e can be varied
t. The line bet we en the two fea the r-heads is the variable line and its length
constan dard line. Slowly
iable line is held shorter than the stan
by manipulation. In this series the var ".
increase the len gth of the variable line
till you feel it is equal to the standard line
Descending Series: gth of the
than the standard line. Decrease the len
"N ow the variable line is held longer gth of the
. Sto p wh en you feel tha t the leng th of the variable line is equal to the len
variable line
standard line".

Precautions: s.
erim ent er sho uld mak e sure tha t the subject has understood the instruction
1. The exp
and the apparatus is kept constant.
2. The distance bet we en the subject and shorter
initely longer in the descending series
3. The variable line sho uld be held def
in the ascending series. to avoid
e line should vary from trial to trial
4. The starting poi nt of the variabl
habituation.

Analysis of results: ed by the

of ~e len ~ of the variable line is not
1. In each trial, the subject's judgement_
Jecnve equality (PSE).
experimenter. Thi s is the poi nt of sub
2· The mean PSE is calculated for each series. · · th e fiO llO wing formula·•
ulated in each sen es usmg
3- The constant err or (CE) is calc
rd line (15 ems)·
CE (Ase) = Mean PSE (Ase) - standa
d line (15 ems).
CE (De s)= Mean PSE (Des)- standar

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 4. Calculate the Mean CE:
CE (Ase)+ CE (Des)
Mean CE=
2

The Movemen t Error is calculated by using the formula:

S. I
Mean PSE(Des~- Mean PSE (Ase) I
Table 1: The readings of the subject in ascending series and descendin g series

Name .. ~~-~ .. .r:. ..tr>. .. :........... •••••••••••·•·······

Trials Ascending Series Descending Series Differenc e
I 2-. a; U"v\.,0 ( t-'!:, { )
1 11 Cf'M . ( P$ ' ) I

2 I I Cvv\.S. /2.gCJv"0 ,
3 13 c..t\M, / 3 , {, CV\lv'i.

4 12.3~. I :3- S U'\A,/ .

5 I '2- CiY'-6 13 - ~ ~
6 \I . ~ ~ I4 UA,r
7 12 .s- ~ . /J . .:f DY"$ '
8 \ I. z:; ~ . I J. ,1 Crv'-8
9 1 1. ;:i C,('(\,~ . / 3, 2 C:'v\J I

10 I ?.. C,,1'"'0;5 . I 3 . c; c.rv\.-s

Total
-
Mean

Name Constant Error Mean Movement

Ascending JDescending C.E. Error
I
Points for Discussio n:
1. Discuss whether method of presentatio n has affected the subject's extent of illusion.
2. Discuss the effect of arrow heads and feather heads on the judgment line.

Discussio n/Analysis

2,

I/
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 Disc11ssionlA11aly,&

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LO

iiI
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4 4 . ,._ 1) u u,,.d,:, 1 ~
I

, 12, .

/0

- J.) 2. .
JI . gs -
I

I
I
1
!
I
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