Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Depth Perception and Spatial Vision

Depth Perception and Spatial Vision

Depth perception is the ability to perceive objects three-dimensionally. It relies on two types of cues: binocular and monocular. Binocular cues depend on the combination of images from both eyes and how the eyes work together. Since the eyes are in slightly different positions, each eye captures a slightly different image. This disparity between images, known as binocular disparity, helps the brain interpret depth. When the brain compares these images, it determines the distance to an object.

Gestalt Principles of Perception

Gestalt Principles of Perception

Gestalt principles provide a framework for understanding how humans perceive objects as unified wholes within their context. These principles are essential in explaining the cognitive processes that make sense of complex visual stimuli by organizing them into coherent groups. One fundamental principle is proximity, which posits that objects located close to each other are perceived as a collective group. For instance, when dots are positioned near one another, the visual system interprets them...

Perceptual Constancy

Perceptual Constancy

Perceptual constancy is the ability to recognize that objects remain consistent and unchanged even when their appearance varies due to changes in sensory input. There are four main types of perceptual constancy: size constancy, shape constancy, color constancy, and brightness constancy.
Size constancy is the recognition that an object remains the same size, even when its image on the retina changes. For instance, a bus is perceived to be large enough to carry people, even if it looks tiny from...

$Influence of Earth's Curvature and Atmospheric Refraction on Leveling$ 01:26

Influence of Earth's Curvature and Atmospheric Refraction on Leveling

During leveling, the Earth's curvature and atmospheric refraction introduce deviations in the line of sight from a true horizontal reference. When the line of sight is leveled, it remains perpendicular to the plumb line only at a single point. Beyond this, it deviates due to the Earth’s curvature, represented by the correction C. For a sight distance D, the deviation can be derived using the relationship:This relationship shows that the deviation increases quadratically with distance. Over a...

Common Leveling Mistakes and Errors

Common Leveling Mistakes and Errors

A survey team is tasked with determining the elevation difference between points Point A and Point B, separated by uneven terrain. They use a leveling instrument and a leveling rod.Common MistakesMisreading the Rod: During a backsight reading at Point A, the instrumentman observes the rod partially obscured by tall grass. Instead of reading 1.135 m, they mistakenly record 1.735 m due to the misalignment of the crosshair with the wrong graduation. This error adds 0.600 m to all subsequent...

Understanding Deception

Understanding Deception

Deception is a pervasive aspect of human communication. Empirical studies have shown that most individuals engage in some form of deceit on a daily basis, with approximately 20% of social exchanges involving deceptive elements. Lying follows a developmental trajectory, peaking during adolescence and declining with age, possibly due to the maturation of cognitive control and social accountability.Cognitive and Social Factors in Deception DetectionDespite its prevalence, accurately detecting...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

A simple test of the "anchoring account" of simultaneous contrast.

Journal of vision·2015

Same author

Is a unified model of contrast and constancy possible? Reply to Gilchrist.

Vision research·2014

Same author

A theory divided: current representations of the anchoring theory of lightness contradict the original's core claims.

Vision research·2014

Same author

Alignment with the horizontal plane: evidence for an orientation constraint in the perception of shape.

Perception·2010

Same author

Shape, gravity, and the perception of the right angle.

Perception·2010

Same author

Global shape mediates the perception of the parts of a picture, not vice versa: comments on "Ellipses on the surface of a picture" by Hammad et al (2008).

Perception·2009

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 25, 2026

Methods to Explore the Influence of Top-down Visual Processes on Motor Behavior

Methods to Explore the Influence of Top-down Visual Processes on Motor Behavior

Published on: April 16, 2014

The Leaning Tower illusion is not a simple perspective illusion.

Lydia M Maniatis¹

¹Psychology Department, American University, 4400 Massachusetts Avenue, Washington, DC 20016, USA. lydia.maniatis@gmail.com

|February 5, 2009

Summary

The Learning Tower illusion is reinterpreted as a variation of the Jastrow illusion, not just a simple perspective effect. This challenges existing explanations by highlighting inconsistencies with visual perception principles.

More Related Videos

Measuring Sensitivity to Viewpoint Change with and without Stereoscopic Cues

Measuring Sensitivity to Viewpoint Change with and without Stereoscopic Cues

Published on: December 4, 2013

Applying Incongruent Visual-Tactile Stimuli during Object Transfer with Vibro-Tactile Feedback

Applying Incongruent Visual-Tactile Stimuli during Object Transfer with Vibro-Tactile Feedback

Published on: May 23, 2019

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 25, 2026

Methods to Explore the Influence of Top-down Visual Processes on Motor Behavior

Methods to Explore the Influence of Top-down Visual Processes on Motor Behavior

Published on: April 16, 2014

Measuring Sensitivity to Viewpoint Change with and without Stereoscopic Cues

Measuring Sensitivity to Viewpoint Change with and without Stereoscopic Cues

Published on: December 4, 2013

Applying Incongruent Visual-Tactile Stimuli during Object Transfer with Vibro-Tactile Feedback

Applying Incongruent Visual-Tactile Stimuli during Object Transfer with Vibro-Tactile Feedback

Published on: May 23, 2019

Area of Science:

Visual Perception
Psychophysics
Cognitive Science

Background:

The Learning Tower illusion is commonly explained as a straightforward perspective illusion.
Previous explanations have not fully addressed its relationship to other known visual illusions.
Understanding illusion mechanisms is key to deciphering visual processing.

Purpose of the Study:

To propose a novel explanation for the Learning Tower illusion.
To re-categorize the Learning Tower illusion as a variant of the Jastrow illusion.
To critique existing explanations for their inconsistencies with visual perception principles.

Main Methods:

Comparative analysis of the Learning Tower and Jastrow illusions.
Examination of perspective tilt in visual stimuli.
Evaluation of the consistency of existing explanations with pictorial stimuli resolution.

Main Results:

The Learning Tower illusion is proposed as a variant of the Jastrow illusion applied to perspective tilt.
Existing explanations are found to be inconsistent with their own assumptions.
The resolution of pictorial stimuli challenges the simplicity of the original explanation.

Conclusions:

The Learning Tower illusion's explanation requires revision.
It shares fundamental principles with the Jastrow illusion.
A more nuanced understanding of visual illusions and perspective is needed.