ISSN 1671-3710
CN 11-4766/R
主办:中国科学院心理研究所
出版:科学出版社

Advances in Psychological Science ›› 2019, Vol. 27 ›› Issue (suppl.): 54-54.

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Self-perception induces visual size illusion

Ying Zhanga,b, Li Wanga,b, Yi Jianga,b   

  1. aKey Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 16 Lincui Road, Chaoyang Dist., Beijing, China, 100101;
    bDepartment of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquan Road, Shijingshan Dist., Beijing, China, 100049
  • Online:2019-08-26 Published:2022-03-21

Abstract: PURPOSE: Previous studies have demonstrated that visual size perception is highly context-dependent and involves multiple neural computations. However, it is heretofore unknown whether visual size perception can be modulated by self - referential information .
METHODS: The present study aimed to probe this issue by adopting self-referential stimuli (self-face and self-associated cartoon face), for use in a size discrimination paradigm. Famous faces were also employed to ensure that the modulation of self-face on size perception, if observed, reflect a genuine “self-effect” rather than a familiarity effect.
RESULTS: We found that self-face was perceived as significantly larger than other faces of the same size, and this size overestimation effect was not observed when a famous face was compared with other faces. Moreover, such illusion effect could extend to a cartoon face repeatedly associated with one's own face and further exert contextual influences on visual size perception of other objects.
CONCLUSIONS: These findings together highlight the role of self-awareness in visual size perception, and point to a special mechanism of size perception tuned to self-referential information.

Key words: visual size illusion, self-face, self-associated