# The effect of shape on visual size perception

## TL;DR

This paper explores how the shape of surrounding figures affects how we visually estimate the size of objects in the Delboeuf illusion.

## Contribution

The study introduces how different shapes influence the Delboeuf illusion through contour and parallel attraction effects.

## Key findings

- The shape of inducers and test figures impacts the magnitude of the Delboeuf illusion.
- Circular shapes exhibit contour attraction, while shapes with parallel lines show parallel attraction.
- Both attractions enhance the illusion's perceived size effect.

## Abstract

The Delboeuf illusion occurs when two circles (test figures) of equal radius are placed side by side and surrounded by concentric circles (inducers) of varying radii, resulting in the test figure being misestimated depending on the size of the surrounding inducer. This study conducted three experiments to explore the impact of shape and the contour attraction and parallel attraction on the Delboeuf illusion for different shapes. In Experiment 1 (n = 64), the test figures remained as circles while the inducers varied in shape. Experiment 2 (n = 64) involved simultaneous changes in the shape of both the test figures and the inducers. Experiment 3 (n = 64) replicated Experiment 2, with the exception that the areas of the inducers were equal and the distances between the inducers and the test figures were also equal. We conclude that the shape of the inducer and the test figure had an impact on the visual size perception, and in the magnitude of the Delboeuf illusion, varied depending on contour attraction. Configurations with circles or shapes resembling circles exhibit contour attraction, while configurations with shapes possessing longer parallel lines shift toward parallel attraction, both attractions enhance the perceived magnitude of the Delboeuf illusion.