Pitfalls of perception: how the senses distort reality

We can not believe the words of a stranger, but if it is possible something to see, touch or taste, the doubts disappear. We are accustomed to trust your feelings and sensations, because it is our only link with reality. Who deceives us every day.

How to cheat on sight

Our daily life is full of illusions. For example, every girl knows that black clothes slim and light making thicker, although the figure is not changed. This illusion was discoveredIrradiation Illusion in the XIX century physicist Hermann von Helmholtz and was called "the illusion of light» (irradiation illusion).

According to her, a white square on a dark background seems larger than the dark - the same size - on white.

And scientists have only recently figured outNeuronal nonlinearity explains greater visual spatial resolution for darks than lights, What was going on. IN visual system There are two main types of neurons: include (ON neurons), are sensitive to light things on and off (OFF neurons) - sensitive dark.

The switching neurons respond linearly: the greater the contrast between dark and light, the more they are excited. But including behave differently than expected: at the same contrast level, they react more strongly, highlighting the bright objects on a dark background.

This feature helps to survive our ancestors, visually increasing the objects in low light. For example, to you the night creeps predator, including neurons are activated and make it lighter skin more noticeable. At the same time during the day when dark objects, and so clearly visible, there is no need to somehow distinguish them, so switching-off neurons behave as expected: transmitting real dimensions.

There is another useful visual illusion that you can use in everyday life - illusion DelbofaDelboeuf illusion study. Thus, the inner circle in the image below are the same, but at the expense of the left outer circles seems less right. A distance between the first and second round eye makes mistakes in assessing the dimensions of the inner member.

This illusion can be useful, for example, if you are dieting. People often overestimate amount of foodNeeded for saturation. On small plates, in accordance with the illusion Delbofa, the same amount of food looks impressive. As a result, a person puts less and eats. And it really worksNudging 'hotel guests to reduce food waste as a win-win environmental measure .

You might think that the illusion of view - a useful thing. Some yes, but not all. For example, the disappearance of Troxler. Try to concentrate on the black crosses, and after a while the blurred spots disappear.

This illusion is explainedThe role of fixational eye movements in visual perception the structure of the eye. In humans, retinal capillaries are located in front of its receptors and their shade.

The human eye is moving all the time, so the only stationary objects - is its structure, the same capillaries. To ensure a holistic perception of the image, without shaded areas brain includes a mechanism compensation if the sight is fixed on one point, the fixed portions of the image "cut" - you simply cease to see them.

This only works with small objects, because the capillaries are small by default and are located only at the periphery of vision - in the eyes of the heart does not. But in life it can play a cruel joke. For example, if you are focused on some small object in the car, you can not see the headlights of another car - they just "disappear."

So the vision is constantly deceiving us, for better or worse. Moreover, it affects other senses, causing us to make mistakes in the simplest things.

Why do not we hear what is actually

Sometimes we do not hear what we say. Our eyes and ears work in pairs, and when visual information is contrary to the sound, the brain prefers the one that gets through the eyes.

There is one interesting illusionThat can not be overcome, even if you know what's going on. This effectHearing lips and seeing voices MakGurka - a phenomenon of perception, which shows the relationship between hearing and vision.

In the video, the man says the same sound "ba", but first you see the lips move correctly - that is to say "ba". And then the picture changes as if a man says, "F", and you really start to hear the sound. At the same time he does not change. Try to close your eyes, and you see it.

This works not only with a single sound, but also with wordsMixing sound and vision: The interaction of auditory and visual information for earwitnesses of a crime scene. Such illusions can lead to quarrels and misunderstandings, and even more terrible consequences. For example, if you mix up the offer He's got a boot and He's gonna shoot.

There is another interesting sound illusionLooming sounds are perceived as faster than receding soundsNot associated with vision and speech, - the effect of the approaching sound. If the sound increases, people tend to think that it is closer than if the volume is reduced, although the location of the sound source is not changed.

This feature is easily explained by the desire to survive: if something is approaching, it is best to assume that it is closer in time to escape or hide.

How we cheat the taste buds

Studies prove that our taste also not the most reliable source of information.

For example, wine lovers have givenTurning white wine into red try the same drink. In the first case, it was the usual white wine, and people pointed characteristic notes for him. Then, in the same drink added red food coloring and then gave the participants of the experiment. This time the judges felt the notes specific to red wine, but drink was the same.

On the taste of food can affect even the color of dishes. The study demonstratedCup color influences the taste of hot chocolateThat when the hot chocolate served in a cream or orange cup, it seemed to the participants a more sweet and flavorful than white or red dishes.

It works with any drink: yellow banks enhance the flavor of lemon, blue soda quenches thirst better than red and pink seem sweeter.

If so easy to deceive taste, it can be assumed that the tactile perception the same can not be trusted. And indeed it is.

As we can trick the tactile sensation

This proves that the famous experiment with a rubber hand. The man puts his hands on the table: one for the screen clears, and the second leaves on the mind. Rather than take his hands on the table in front of him lay a rubber limb.

The researcher then at the same time brushes stroking the rubber hand and the real, hidden behind a screen. After some time, the person begins to feel that the rubber limb - it's his hand. And when a researcher hits it with a hammer, badly frightened.

What is particularly interesting in this experience, the brain ceases to consider the hidden hand of his. The scientists measured thePsychologically induced cooling of a specific body part caused by the illusory ownership of an artificial counterpart final temperature during the experiment, and it found that the hand behind the screen was colder, while the visible hand and foot were equally warm.

The visual image is deceiving the brain, and it slows down the processing of information coming from the real hand. This proves that the feeling of the body is closely connected with his vision and thinking.

Is imperfect and our perception of weight. Dark objects appear to us to be more heavy than light. scientists checkedThe Brightness-Weight Illusion this effect. It turned out that the same weight and shape of the dark object seems at 6.2% heavier than light. Keep this in mind when you choose dumbbells.

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Despite all the illusions and distortions, we are too accustomed to trust your senses, to allow yourself to doubt them. And rightly so, because other sources of information we do not have and never will.

Just remember that sometimes even direct experience can be wrong.