Effect of Horizontal-vertical Illusion on Manual Tracking Performance

Xu Fenggang; Liu Hongyan; Wang Chunhui; Huang Weifen; Zhou Qianxiang

doi:10.16289/j.cnki.1002-0837.2017.04.001

Abstract：Objective To explore the influence of the horizontal-vertical illusion on manual tracking performance.Methods The study contained two parts:study 1 and study 2.Twenty-five student volunteers participated in Expt.1 a.A three-level (i.e.,the following horizontal-vertical conditions:horizontal ＜ vertical,horizontal =vertical,and horizontal ＞ vertical) one-factor within-subjects design was adopted.The participants were asked to decide which line in the picture was longer,and ERP data were collected simultaneously.In Expt.1 b,the 25 subjects were classified into the high or low illusion groups according to the degree of the illusion as measured by the behavioral reactions.In Expt.2,the 36 participants first completed a line length judgment task(both the experiment materials and the procedures were the same as those in Expt.1 a).The horizontal-vertical illusion was measured with the same calculation method utilized in Expt.1 b.Then the participants were required to complete the tracking task 30 times.Results The size of the horizontal-vertical illusion influenced manual tracking performance,i.e.,performed better than individuals with bigger illusion sizes for performances.Conclusion The horizontal-vertical illusion is likely to become an auxiliary index to predict individuals' manual tracking abilities,which can provide new insight into the selection and training of special personnel.