title: More accurate size contrast judgments in the Ebbinghaus Illusion by a remote culture.
abstract: The Ebbinghaus (Titchener) illusion was examined in a remote culture (Himba) with no words for geometric shapes. The illusion was experienced less strongly by Himba compared with English participants, leading to more accurate size contrast judgments in the Himba. The study included two conditions of inducing stimuli. The illusion was weaker when the inducing stimuli were dissimilar (diamonds) to the target (circle) compared with when they were similar (circles). However, the illusion was weakened to the same extent in both cultures. It is argued that the more accurate size judgments of the Himba derive from their tendency to prioritize the analysis of local details in visual processing of multiple objects, and not from their impoverished naming.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths College, University of London, London, UK. j.de-fockert@gold.ac.uk
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: de Fockert
authors.forename: Jules
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Davidoff
authors.forename: Joel
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fagot
authors.forename: Carole
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Parron
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Goldstein
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003469:Culture; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007088:Illusions; D007600:Judgment; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual; D012858:Size Perception