Illusory Perception as a Constancy Phenomenon (original) (raw)

Nature volume 204, pages 302–303 (1964) Cite this article

Abstract

THERE are several hints in the literature of perception of a possible tie-up between constancy and the illusions, but Tausch1 seems to have produced the first reasonably solid treatment, described clearly by Teuber2, though he has not developed a fully consistent theory. Brown and Houssiadas's reference to J. J. Gibson's _The Perception of the Visual World_3 in this connexion is surprising, for Gibson holds a view of constancy which precludes this kind of theory. Gibson starts off (p. 163) somewhat disconcertingly: “The aim of this chapter is ultimately to show that the question of why things retain their sizes and shapes under different circumstances is a false question”. (The rest of the chapter is, however, devoted to this question.) He develops a theory of depth perception which he attributes to Koffka4—the size-at-a-distance theory—which is that all three spatial dimensions are equally available to the perceptual system. But in denying that depth has to be specially computed, Gibson rejects the notion of constancy scaling essential to this theory of the illusions. When Gibson uses the word ‘scale’ he is evidently not referring to a process of size adjustment normally giving constancy, for several times he explicitly denies such processes in depth perception.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Subscribe to this journal

Receive 51 print issues and online access

$199.00 per year

only $3.90 per issue

Buy this article

USD 39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Additional access options:

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Tausch, R., Psychol. Forschung, 24, 299 (1954).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  2. Teuber, H-L., in Handbook of Physiology, Sect. 1, Neurophysiology, edit. by Feild et al. (Washington, 1960).
    Google Scholar
  3. Gibson, J. J., The Perception of the Visual World (Houghton Mifflin. Boston, 1950).
    Google Scholar
  4. Koffka, K., Principles of Gestalt Psychology (Harcourt Brace, 1935).
    Google Scholar
  5. Gregory, R. L., Nature, 199, 678 (1963).
    Article ADS CAS Google Scholar

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass.
    RICHARD L. GREGORY

Authors

  1. RICHARD L. GREGORY

Rights and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

GREGORY, R. Illusory Perception as a Constancy Phenomenon.Nature 204, 302–303 (1964). https://doi.org/10.1038/204302b0

Download citation

This article is cited by