What is Interposition in Psychology?

To understand what the concept of interposition in psychology is all about, let's take a look at this picture.

From what you see, which object in the picture do you think is the furthest away?

If your answer to the above question is either A or D, you are unconsciously using the concept of interposition to answer this. Let me explain.

1. What does Interposition mean in Psychology?

'Interposition' (also called overlapping) as per psychology is 'a type of monocular cue in which one object partially covers another'. It gives the impression that the object that is being covered up or overlapping another is the one that is further away than the rest.

Following my previous example in the picture, the sun looks further away than the other objects in the picture because it is overlapped or covered by the clouds. And if you selected mountains, it looks as if it is the furthest away because a part of the mountains is covered by the tree in the front.

'Interposition' is everywhere. Although we may not realize it, we are subjected to a great number of experiences with interposition in our day-to-day lives. For instance, as we are out strolling through the streets, we spot a number of individuals coming our way. During this time, we are given the impression that the people who are obscured from our view by other people who are overlapping them in our range of vision are further away than they actually are.

This concept comes in handy for professionals like artists who use 'interposition' in their work. We are able to perceive depth in their paintings and pictures as a result of this.

In short, the world wouldn't be what it appears to be without interposition. And now you know why ;D

Visit the previous guide about psychology love eye trick.