The Carpentered World Hypothesis suggests that people living in environments dominated by straight lines, right angles, and rectangular shapes (i.e., a 'carpentered world') are more susceptible to certain visual illusions, like the Müller-Lyer illusion. Their perceptual systems become accustomed to interpreting angled lines as depth cues based on their experience with architectural corners and edges.

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Research has shown that susceptibility to certain visual illusions varies across cultures, a difference often linked to the environmental features common in a given cultural context. For instance, individuals from Western cultures, who typically live in a 'carpentered world' with many straight lines, are more prone to the Müller-Lyer illusion. In contrast, individuals from cultures like the Zulu of South Africa, whose environment features more circular structures, are less susceptible to this illusion.

Cultural Differences in Susceptibility to Visual Illusions

Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020, April 22). Psychology (2nd ed.). OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/1-introduction

OpenStax Psychology (2nd ed.) Textbook

The Müller-Lyer illusion is a visual phenomenon where two lines of identical length appear to be different lengths due to V-shaped fins attached to their ends. A line with inward-pointing fins is perceived as shorter than a line with outward-pointing fins. This illusion is a key example in the study of perception, and susceptibility to it has been shown to vary across cultures, with individuals from Western cultures often being more prone to experiencing it.

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