The horizon line, linear perspective, interposition, and background brightness as determinants of the magnitude of the pictorial moon illusion

Abstract

A total of 110 undergraduate students participated in a series of three experiments that explored the magnitude of the moon illusion in pictures. Experiment 1 examined the role of the number and salience of depth cues and background brightness. Experiment 2 examined the role of the horizon line, linear perspective, interposition, and background brightness. In Experiment 3, comparative distance judgments of the moon as a function of linear perspective, interposition, and the size of the standard moon were obtained. The magnitude of the moon illusion increased as a function of the number and salience of depth cues and changes in background brightness. Experiment 2 failed to support the role of the horizon line in affecting the illusion. Experiment 3 provided additional support for the illusory distance component of the moon illusion.

The Moon Illusion and Size–Distance Scaling—Evidence for Shared Neural Patterns

“…These findings replicate and extend previous behavioral studies in which the moon illusion was elicited by twodimensional pictures (Jones & Wilson, 2009;Redding, 2002;Coren & Aks, 1990).…”