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How to Build a Dichoptic Presentation System That Includes an Eye Tracker
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Mirrors, mirrors on the wall…the ubiquitous multiple reflection error.

Rebecca Lawson1

  • 1School of Experimental Psychology, University of Liverpool, Eleanor Rathbone Building, Bedford Street South, Liverpool L69 7ZA, UK. rlawson@liverpool.ac.uk

Cognition
|September 6, 2011
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Most people incorrectly believe mirrors show overlapping reflections, overestimating how much each mirror reveals. This common "multiple reflection error" persists despite real-world experience with mirrors.

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Area of Science:

  • Visual perception
  • Cognitive psychology
  • Spatial reasoning

Background:

  • Mirrors reflect distinct, non-overlapping areas of a scene.
  • Previous research has not fully explored common misconceptions about mirror reflections.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate a common error in judging mirror reflection visibility.
  • To understand the persistence of this error despite visual experience.

Main Methods:

  • Participants indicated when a person (or themselves) could see their face in rows of mirrors.
  • Studies used horizontal and vertical mirror arrangements, and single large mirrors.
  • Error rates were assessed across different mirror configurations and participant conditions.

Main Results:

  • A significant majority of participants erroneously believed reflections could be seen in multiple mirrors simultaneously.
  • This 'multiple reflection error' occurred regardless of mirror orientation or arrangement.
  • The error persisted even when participants could directly observe the mirrors.

Conclusions:

  • People systematically overestimate the reflective scope of mirrors.
  • A persistent cognitive bias, rather than lack of experience, underlies the multiple reflection error.
  • This explains why individuals often misjudge their own visibility in nearby mirrors.