Which illusion involves the misperception of distances due to the relative size of objects?

The size-distance illusion is a phenomenon where an individual's perception of the size of an object is influenced by its distance from them, leading to a misperception of how far away the object is. This can occur because we often rely on contextual cues, such as the relative size of other nearby objects, which can distort our judgment of distance. For instance, if two objects are of similar size but one is presented against a background of larger objects, it may appear smaller and, consequently, farther away than it actually is. This distortion in perception can significantly impact spatial judgment in aeromedical situations, where accurate distance assessment is crucial for navigation and safety.

The other options refer to different types of illusions. Altered planes of reference generally describe shifts in perception based on orientation or visual cues, the crater illusion deals with the perception of concave or convex features in visual fields, and the false horizon involves misjudgments regarding the true horizon due to misleading visual indicators. Each of these phenomena affects perception in unique ways but does not directly relate to the specific impact of relative object size on distance perception as seen in the size-distance illusion.