The exploitation of Gestalt principles by magicians

Perception. 2010;39(9):1286-9. doi: 10.1068/p6766.

Abstract

Magicians exploit a host of psychological principles in deceiving their audiences. Psychologists have recently attempted to pinpoint the most common psychological tendencies exploited by magicians. This paper highlights two co-occurring principles that appear to be the basis for many popular magic tricks: accidental alignment and good continuation.

MeSH terms

  • Deception
  • Gestalt Theory*
  • Humans
  • Illusions / psychology*
  • Magic / psychology*