Another look at the New Look: The moderating impact of stereotypic beliefs on the Delboeuf illusion

In two studies, we examined the role of perceivers' social beliefs on perceptual judgments. In Experiment 1, participants evaluated the width of two circles in the context of the Delboeuf illusion. The diameters of the two circles were taken to represent dimensions on which two social groups did or did not differ. Contrast and assimilation effects, typically found in the Delboeuf illusion, were moderated by the nature of the specific dimension that was made salient. Experiment 2 examined the moderating role of motivational factors on the Delboeuf illusion. Students in economics learned that the diameters of the two circles represented a dimension on which psychology and economics students did or did not compete. Competition resulted in magnified contrast and reduced assimilation. These findings are discussed in the context of recent work on motivated reasoning and distinctiveness.