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Developmental changes in understanding an illusion based on perceptual adaptation: effects of feedback
G A Winer1, J E Cottrell, E Weinbaum
1Department of Psychology, Ohio State University, Columbus 43210.
Journal of Experimental Child Psychology
|December 1, 1993
Summary
Children and adults experienced a weight illusion, but many young children struggled to distinguish illusion from reality. Understanding this perceptual illusion develops with age and by recognizing discrepancies between experiences.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Perception
Background:
- Perceptual adaptation can create illusions where identical objects are perceived as different.
- Young children often interpret perceptual illusions as reality, unlike older children and adults.
- Previous studies indicate difficulty in understanding the illusory nature of perceptual adaptation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how children and adults understand illusions created by perceptual adaptation.
- To examine the development of the appearance-reality distinction in children.
- To explore the implications for children's theory of mind regarding perceptual processes.
Main Methods:
- Participants experienced a weight illusion by holding identical bottles in alternating hands.
- Study 1 involved providing feedback to third graders and comparing their responses to older children and adults.
- Study 2 manipulated the discrepancy between pre-illusion and illusion phases to assess understanding.
Main Results:
- Third graders often adopted incorrect rules after receiving feedback about the illusion.
- Older children and adults responded correctly more often but showed limited evidence of understanding.
- Highlighting the discrepancy between phases aided children in inferring the illusion's nature when the difference was significant.
Conclusions:
- Understanding perceptual illusions is a developmental process.
- Explicitly demonstrating discrepancies aids children in grasping the difference between appearance and reality.
- These findings inform our understanding of cognitive development, perceptual processing, and theory of mind in children.