Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Subliminal Perception01:15

Subliminal Perception

799
Subliminal perception refers to the processing of sensory information that occurs below the level of conscious awareness. Researchers study subliminal perception by presenting a stimulus, such as a word or image, very quickly, typically around 50 milliseconds. This rapid presentation is often followed by another stimulus, such as a pattern of dots or lines, which blocks further mental processing of the initial stimulus. As a result, if participants cannot identify the initial stimulus better...
799
Factors Affecting Perception01:25

Factors Affecting Perception

2.8K
Perception is influenced by perceptual set, context, motivation, and emotion. Perceptual set, or perceptual expectancy, refers to the tendency to perceive things in a particular way, influenced by previous experiences and expectations. This phenomenon affects the interpretation of stimuli, creating a set of mental tendencies and assumptions that impact sensory perceptions of sound, taste, touch, and sight.
An illustrative example of a perceptual set is the scenario where an airline pilot told...
2.8K
Perception01:28

Perception

1.2K
Perception is a fundamental psychological process that enables individuals to organize, interpret, and consciously experience sensory information. This process is crucial for understanding and interacting with the world around us. It includes both bottom-up and top-down processing, each playing a distinct role in how we perceive our environment.
Bottom-up processing begins at the sensory level, where receptors detect external environmental stimuli. These could include the tactile sensation of...
1.2K
Gestalt Principles of Perception01:21

Gestalt Principles of Perception

1.2K
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...
1.2K
Vertical Curve: Problem Solving01:23

Vertical Curve: Problem Solving

524
Vertical curves provide the transition between two roadway grades, ensuring safety, comfort, and functionality. Calculating elevations at specific stations along the curve involves several systematic steps based on the curve's geometry and provided design parameters.The vertical curve is defined by its length, grades, Point of Vertical Intersection (P.V.I.) location, and P.V.I. elevation. The stations of the Point of Vertical Curvature (P.V.C.), where the curve begins, and the Point of Vertical...
524
Auditory Perception01:17

Auditory Perception

1.1K
The auditory system is essential for sound perception, utilizing various critical structures. When sound waves enter the outer ear, they travel through the ear canal and cause the eardrum to vibrate. These vibrations are then transmitted to the middle ear, where three tiny bones – the malleus, incus, and stapes – amplify the sound. This amplification is crucial, as it ensures that the sound vibrations are strong enough to be conveyed to the inner ear. These vibrations then reach the...
1.1K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Things are looking (farther) up: Upward gaze orientation is overestimated.

Attention, perception & psychophysics·2026
Same author

Angle of regard influences slant perception independent of distance.

Perception·2025
Same author

An anti-inertial motion bias explains people discounting inertial motion of carried objects.

Attention, perception & psychophysics·2022
Same author

Manipulation of expended effort and intent does not affect estimates of slant or distance.

Journal of experimental psychology. Human perception and performance·2019
Same author

Pedal and haptic estimates of slant suggest a common underlying representation.

Acta psychologica·2018
Same author

Pushing people to their tipping point: Phenomenal tipping point is predicted by phenomenal vertical and intuitive beliefs.

Attention, perception & psychophysics·2018
Same journal

Low prevalence targets are primarily missed due to mind wandering.

Attention, perception & psychophysics·2026
Same journal

An introduction to the special issue celebrating Mary A. Peterson.

Attention, perception & psychophysics·2026
Same journal

Properties of the threshold stimulus exposure duration (TSED) measure of visual search efficiency.

Attention, perception & psychophysics·2026
Same journal

Auditory selective attention in depth: Investigating directional dependency across front, lateral, and rear spaces.

Attention, perception & psychophysics·2026
Same journal

Dissociations between stereoacuity and visual acuity with binocular night vision goggles.

Attention, perception & psychophysics·2026
Same journal

Reward-based prioritization and perceptual feature effects on attentional flexibility in working memory.

Attention, perception & psychophysics·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 7, 2026

Creating Objects and Object Categories for Studying Perception and Perceptual Learning
14:38

Creating Objects and Object Categories for Studying Perception and Perceptual Learning

Published on: November 2, 2012

12.2K

Perception of objects oriented downward from a vertical position.

Dennis M Shaffer1, Erica Bishop2, Mara Hernandez2

  • 1Department of Psychology, Ohio State University-Mansfield, 1760 University Drive, Mansfield, OH, 44906, USA. shaffer.247@osu.edu.

Attention, Perception & Psychophysics
|July 25, 2018
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

People tend to underestimate the slant of downward-sloping surfaces, like ladders against walls. This perception bias, observed in orientation estimation tasks, suggests a general tendency to exaggerate slant regardless of direction.

Keywords:
Spatial cognitionSpatial visionVisual perception

More Related Videos

Detecting Pre-Stimulus Source-Level Effects on Object Perception with Magnetoencephalography
09:25

Detecting Pre-Stimulus Source-Level Effects on Object Perception with Magnetoencephalography

Published on: July 26, 2019

7.3K
Assessment of Static Graviceptive Perception in the Roll-Plane using the Subjective Visual Vertical Paradigm
06:30

Assessment of Static Graviceptive Perception in the Roll-Plane using the Subjective Visual Vertical Paradigm

Published on: April 28, 2020

6.2K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 7, 2026

Creating Objects and Object Categories for Studying Perception and Perceptual Learning
14:38

Creating Objects and Object Categories for Studying Perception and Perceptual Learning

Published on: November 2, 2012

12.2K
Detecting Pre-Stimulus Source-Level Effects on Object Perception with Magnetoencephalography
09:25

Detecting Pre-Stimulus Source-Level Effects on Object Perception with Magnetoencephalography

Published on: July 26, 2019

7.3K
Assessment of Static Graviceptive Perception in the Roll-Plane using the Subjective Visual Vertical Paradigm
06:30

Assessment of Static Graviceptive Perception in the Roll-Plane using the Subjective Visual Vertical Paradigm

Published on: April 28, 2020

6.2K

Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Human Perception
  • Cognitive Science

Background:

  • Understanding spatial orientation perception is crucial for fields like ergonomics and design.
  • Previous research indicates biases in estimating slopes, but the directionality and reference frame effects require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate human perception of orientation for downward-sloping surfaces against a vertical reference frame.
  • To determine if perceived slant is systematically underestimated or overestimated.
  • To explore the influence of different estimation methods (placement, verbal, drawing) on orientation perception.

Main Methods:

  • Experiment 1 involved participants placing a ladder, verbally estimating its position, or drawing its orientation, followed by orientation estimation.
  • Experiment 2 focused solely on verbal estimation of various ladder orientations.
  • Data analysis compared estimated orientations with actual orientations to identify systematic biases.

Main Results:

  • In all conditions, participants' estimations of ladder orientation were shallower than the actual orientations.
  • Verbal and drawn estimates consistently underestimated the downward slant.
  • A scale compression effect was observed for steeper angles (60°-90°), indicating a perceived exaggeration of slant from horizontal.

Conclusions:

  • People systematically underestimate the slant of downward-sloping surfaces.
  • The findings suggest a generic perceived exaggeration of slant, with the direction dependent on the reference frame (upward vs. downward).
  • This bias in slant perception may have implications for tasks involving judging slopes and stability.