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Updated: Jul 24, 2025

Methods to Explore the Influence of Top-down Visual Processes on Motor Behavior
Published on: April 16, 2014
The box-circle illusion
1University of California, Los Angeles, United States.
Abstract:
A novel geometrical optical illusion is reported in this article: the horizontal distances of the contextual structures distort the perceived vertical positions of observed objects. Specifically, the illusion manifests in the form of connected boxes of varying widths but equal heights, each containing a circle at the center. Despite identical vertical positioning of the circles, they appear misaligned. The illusion diminishes when the boxes are removed. Potential underlying mechanisms are discussed.
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