1. I CAN
Use Gestalt Psychology to explain optical illusions.

2. Perceptual Ambiguity and Distortion
Ambiguous figures Images that are capable of more than one interpretation
Illusions
The incorrect interpretation of a stimulus pattern
(shared by others in the same perceptual environment)
Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2006 2

3. Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2006
Perceptual Illusions
Do you see or ?
Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2006 3

4. The Gestalt Laws of Perceptual Grouping
Max Wertheimer (1923)
These laws suggest how our brains prefer to group stimulus elements together to form a percept 4

5. The Gestalt Laws of Perceptual Grouping
Closure
The Gestalt Laws of Perceptual Grouping
Similarity
Proximity
Continuity
Common fate
Prägnanz 5

6. Closure
Tendency to fill in gaps in figures and see incomplete figures as complete 6

7. Similarity Proximity We tend to group similar objects
We tend to group objects together when they are near each other. 7

9. Continuity
We prefer perceptions of connected and continuous figures over disconnected and disjointed ones
Common Fate
We tend to group similar objects together that share a common motion or destination 9

10. Reality is reduced to its simplest form
Prägnanz
We perceive the simplest pattern possible
This is what makes things such as proofreading a text so difficult
Reality is reduced to its simplest form 10

11. Law of Pragnanz and the ‘face’ on Mars
People mentally process visual information that…
is symmetrical
contains the simplest shapes possible
contains the fewest number of shapes 11

12. CAN I?
Use Gestalt Psychology to explain optical illusions.

14. OBJECTIVE 1| Describe the interplay between attention and perception.
Necker Cube

16. There are only white circles at the intersections

18. Who is this
a picture of?
If you said Clinton you
are correct.  If you said
Clinton and Gore, you
Are wrong.  Its a picture
of Bill Clinton in the foreground and the same picture of him in the background, but with a different haircut. .

27. The rows of black and white squares are all parallel
The rows of black and white squares are all parallel. The vertical zigzag patterns disrupt our horizontal perception.

28. The center circles are both the same size.
                                                        

29. Warped Squares. There are no curved lines in these figures
Warped Squares? There are no curved lines in these figures. You can use a ruler to check it out. The diagonal patterns created by the tiny squares distort the perception of the pictures.
                   

30. Various Illusions http://www.michaelbach.de/ot/mot_adapt/index.html
Expanding spiral
Moving color dots
Motion Induced Blindness
Kaleidoscope Motion

31. Can you find "the hidden tiger"? Not the obvious one that everyone sees. Look for words in stripes
Can you see both the frog and the horse on this visual illusion?

33. You probably see Albert Einstein on this picture
You probably see Albert Einstein on this picture. However, if you stand up and step 15 feet away, you will see Marilyn Monroe on the same picture.

43. Old and Young - Crazy Optical Illusion Painting

46. Can you find the man’s face in the coffee beans?

55. 1000 20 30
1030
+ 20
______
4100

57. Dogs in the yard– black & white/color
Beach scene – color/black and white

59. High Society, or a Donkey?