New Twists for an Old Turning Illusion

A Vernier-offset illusion induced by rotating lines, introduced by Matin et al (1976 Perception & Psychophysics 20 138–142) was re-examined using onset, offset, and reverse trajectories inspired by flash-lag illusion research, with both Vernier and alignment-with-vertical judgments being recorded. The pattern of illusions found was generally in agreement with a differential latency of stimulus ends account described by those authors, although certain variants of modern spatial projection theories, and a differential latency of attribute account, could also accommodate much of the data.