Describe the moon illusion and explain why it occurs
What will be an ideal response?
ANSWER:
?Have you ever noticed that the moon appears to be much larger as it rises over the horizon than when it is directly overhead? Many people think it is because the Earth is closer to the moon when it is at the horizon, but this is not true. Scientists are still trying to determine the ex- act cause of the moon illusion (see Kim, 2012). A leading theory, the apparent distance theory, argues that the answer lies in our brain’s attempt to correct for what it thinks is a mistake in perception. The moon projects the same size image on our retina when it is on the horizon as it does when it is directly overhead. But when the moon is on the horizon, many interposition cues, such as trees and buildings that stand between the moon and us, indicate distance to our brain. When we view the moon directly overhead, however, there are no interposition cues to indicate distance (Jones & Wilson, 2009). Consequently, our brain thinks the moon is farther away when it is on the horizon. The logic involved is this: If the moon is farther away on the horizon, but it still projects the same size image on the retina as the moon overhead, then the moon on the horizon must actually be bigger than the moon overhead. The brain tries to “fix” the inconsistency by inflating our perception of the size of the moon on the horizon (Kaufman & Rock, 1989). Curiously, you can undo the moon illusion by facing away from the moon, bending over, and looking at the moon from between your legs. In this position, the brain does not try to fix the inconsistency, and the illusion disappears.
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