The Müller-Lyer Illusion: A Cross-Cultural Study in Singapore

Previous work suggests that Europeans are more prone to the Muller-Lyer (M-L) illusion than non-Europeans. The present experiment compared the quantitative reactions of two matched groups (English-educated Singaporean Chinese and British Caucasian ) resident in Singapore. Subjects were male students with the same academic attainment. The Singaporeans were significantly more prone to the illusion than the British: this conflicts with the previous conclusion that Europeans are more prone to the illusion than non-Europeans. An explanation is offered and the importance of studying perception cross-culturally discussed.