Using optical illusions to help understand how the brain constructs scenes
What can you see here? If we break it down, there are a series of concentric rings, each formed from heptagons laid over each other. But pieced together as a whole – as the brain does in a fraction of a second – most people perceive something that isn’t actually here. Do you see shimmering white lines emanating outwards from the centre? This 'scintillating starburst' and other visual illusions can help researchers understand how the brain assembles a representation of the outside world – 'constructing' scenes that are often a compromise between peripheral and central vision. While researchers search for biological explanations for different illusions, psychologists can make use of how they fool the brain – exploring conditions which carry problems in perception such as schizophrenia.
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