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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 9, 2026

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

The boldface illusion: a new visual assimilation.

Kiyoshi Fujimoto¹

¹Subaru Europe, Leuvensesteenweg 555 B/8, 1930 Zaventem, Belgium. kys.fujimoto@backscroll.jp

|July 11, 2013

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

A novel visual illusion demonstrates that thick lines make adjacent shapes appear bolder. This "boldface illusion" suggests visual features like thickness can assimilate between nearby elements.

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Area of Science:

Visual perception
Psychophysics
Optical illusions

Background:

The perception of visual attributes is complex.
Understanding how visual features interact is crucial for visual science.

Purpose of the Study:

To introduce and describe a new visual illusion termed the "boldface illusion."
To investigate the assimilation of visual features, specifically thickness.

Main Methods:

Qualitative observation of the illusion.
Presentation of visual stimuli including thick lines and adjacent geometric figures/letters.

Main Results:

A thick line was observed to induce a boldface appearance in adjacent letters or geometric figures.
This effect indicates a perceptual assimilation of thickness between elements.

Conclusions:

The boldface illusion provides new insights into visual feature assimilation.
This phenomenon highlights the brain's active role in constructing visual reality based on contextual cues.