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Following on from the Müller-Lyer illusion, two other important visual illusions studied in GCSE Psychology are the Ponzo illusion and Rubin's vase. Each illustrates different aspects of how perception can be influenced by context, depth cues, and expectations.
The Ponzo illusion, first described by the Italian psychologist Mario Ponzo in 1911, involves two horizontal lines of equal length placed between two converging lines (like railway tracks receding into the distance).
The upper line (further from the viewer, between the narrower part of the converging lines) appears longer than the lower line, even though both are identical in length.
Gregory explained the Ponzo illusion using the same principle as the Müller-Lyer illusion — misapplied size constancy:
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