Effects of age and angle size on decrement in the Müller-Lyer illusion as related to adaptation effects.

Adaptation rates for the inspection of angled lines and their relationships to the Müller-Lyer illusion decrements were studied using three groups of subjects, children, adolescents, and adults. All subjects were required to inspect the angled lines alone of the Müller-Lyer illusion and then to inspect the full illusion. These two conditions were balanced using an ABBA design. The length of time to report changes due to inspection was recorded. An analysis of variance indicated significance only among the three age groups, with the children showing rapid adaptation rates and the adolescents showing comparatively slow rates of adaptation.