A self-report questionnaire was constructed for measuring the personality components that, according to Erikson, are formed before the onset of old age. This was applied to a sample of 1,859 South African white and black men and women. The reliability of the total scale is high for white and black subjects. The reliabilities of the subscales are adequate. Evidence of the validity of the scale is discussed. The components of personality that theoretically develop in childhood seem strongly interrelated in adolescent and adult whites. White women appear to solve the identity crisis earlier, and they experience a higher degree of intimacy than do white men. although the difference narrows with age. In both sexes, psychosocial development is related to well-being. Black men seem to resolve the identity crisis only after age 40. and there are indications that the psychosocial development of black adult women is frustrated.

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It is argued that the failure to explain the celestial illusion results from conceptual confusion about perceived size and from disregard of the observational evidence relating to the natural moon illusion. The evidence shows that the illusion consists of a perceived angular size enlargement of horizon objects, by a factor of about 1.5-2.0 in diameter in comparison with elevated objects. Most measurements of the illusion have been made in terms of angular size, although in some proposed explanations an illusion of linear size is assumed. The magnitude of the illusion varies, particularly with the detail of the horizon scene. The illusion can be explained as the sum of several factors that affect perceived angular size: size contrast, vergence commands and eye or head position, aerial perspective, and colour. The relative contributions of these factors are assessed.

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