Lateral inhibition and geometric illusions.
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...The simplest of these are "structural" mechanisms, including blurring via optical scattering in the eye, lateral inhibitory connections in the retinal ganglion cells, and neural pooling in the cortex (Coren, 1970)....
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...This blurring causes the ML figure to distort, with the wings-out configuration becoming longer than the wings-in configuration (Coren, 1970; Ginsburg, 1984, 1986)....
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...classical illusion figures, replacing the (target) vertices and the (extraneous) line ends with dots and still to obtain the usually expected illusory distortions (Coren, 1970; White, 1972)....
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...Coren (1970) has verified that the illusion still exists in this form, although it is somewhat reduced in magnitude, suggesting that other factors may serve to augment the basic effect....
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...…overestimation increases, but the size of the distortion is weakened if the wings are too long, as in C.) classical illusion figures, replacing the (target) vertices and the (extraneous) line ends with dots and still to obtain the usually expected illusory distortions (Coren, 1970; White, 1972)....
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...Recently von BCktsy (1967) and Ganz (1969) have attempted to explain the classical geometrical illusions in terms of lateral inhibitory processes occurring on the retina. Ganz argues that when two contours are imaged on spatially adjacent portions of the retina the resultant distributions of neural excitation mutually interact. The parts of the distributions which are closest to ridges of excitation would be more strongly inhibited than parts of the distribution which are farther away. Such a pattern of inhibitory action would result in mutual displacement of the means of the excitatory distributions. This should then result in a displacement of the apparent location of the contours. Von BCkCsy (1967) has shown that one such contour displacement effect which might be predicted from this theory is that acute angles should appear to be slightly more obtuse than they actually are. In addition, the apparent location of the vertex of the angle is found to be located at a point somewhat inside the angle. A series of such contour displacements could easily account for the Wundt, Hering, Muller-Lyer, Zollner or Poggendorff illusions. Some investigators have attempted to test the lateral inhibitory explanation of visual illusions by presenting one part of an illusion figure to one eye and the remainder to the other. Since the contours do not appear on the same retinas, the required neural processes have no opportunity to interact. The results of Ohwaki (1960), Springbett (1961), Day (1961), and Schiller and Weiner (1962), have been in general agreement....
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...These two experiments taken together seem to indicate that contour interactions, such as those attributed to the operation of lateral inhibitory mechanisms, are not necessary for the existence of the classical geometrical illusions. These findings then, run contrary to the theoretical expectations of Ganz (1968) and Bkkhy (1967). The decrement in the magnitude of the illusions, when spatially adjacent contours are removed from the stimulus array, may indicate that lateral inhibitory influences contribute to the total illusion magnitude usually obtained, or it may simply be due to impoverishment of the stimulus and hence the attendant illusion cues. It seems reasonable, given the magnitude of some of the classical illusions, that they are caused by the interactions of several variables, rather than one dominant process. Gregory’s (1966) work has indicated that distortions in constancy scaling may account for some illusion figures....
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...These two experiments taken together seem to indicate that contour interactions, such as those attributed to the operation of lateral inhibitory mechanisms, are not necessary for the existence of the classical geometrical illusions. These findings then, run contrary to the theoretical expectations of Ganz (1968) and Bkkhy (1967)....
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...Recently von BCktsy (1967) and Ganz (1969) have attempted to explain the classical geometrical illusions in terms of lateral inhibitory processes occurring on the retina. Ganz argues that when two contours are imaged on spatially adjacent portions of the retina the resultant distributions of neural excitation mutually interact. The parts of the distributions which are closest to ridges of excitation would be more strongly inhibited than parts of the distribution which are farther away. Such a pattern of inhibitory action would result in mutual displacement of the means of the excitatory distributions. This should then result in a displacement of the apparent location of the contours. Von BCkCsy (1967) has shown that one such contour displacement effect which might be predicted from this theory is that acute angles should appear to be slightly more obtuse than they actually are....
[...]
...These two experiments taken together seem to indicate that contour interactions, such as those attributed to the operation of lateral inhibitory mechanisms, are not necessary for the existence of the classical geometrical illusions. These findings then, run contrary to the theoretical expectations of Ganz (1968) and Bkkhy (1967). The decrement in the magnitude of the illusions, when spatially adjacent contours are removed from the stimulus array, may indicate that lateral inhibitory influences contribute to the total illusion magnitude usually obtained, or it may simply be due to impoverishment of the stimulus and hence the attendant illusion cues....
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