Phenomenal Causality: Impressions of Pulling in the Visual Perception of Objects in Motion

Subjects observed computer-generated images of five opaque rectangles arranged in a vertical column and separated by small gaps. In order from top to bottom, the rectangles began to move horizontally at intervals of a fraction of a second, at constant and identical speeds. Subjects reported a strong...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inThe American journal of psychology Vol. 110; no. 4; pp. 573 - 602
Main Authors White, Peter A., Milne, Alan
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Champaign, IL University of Illinois Press 22.12.1997
University of Illinois Press, etc
Subjects
Acceleration
Adolescent
Adult
Analysis of Variance
Biological and medical sciences
Causal processes
Causality
Computer Simulation
Cues
Experimentation
Eyes & eyesight
Female
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Humans
Kinematics
Male
Mental stimulation
Motion Perception - physiology
Moving objects
Optical Illusions - physiology
Perception
Perceptual learning
Phenomenological psychology
Psychological tests
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Rating scales
Rectangles
Sensory perception
Speed
Time Factors
Vision
Visual perception
Human
Perception
Causality
Experimental study
Stimulus movement
Vision
Online AccessGet full text
ISSN0002-9556
1939-8298
DOI10.2307/1423411

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Summary:Subjects observed computer-generated images of five opaque rectangles arranged in a vertical column and separated by small gaps. In order from top to bottom, the rectangles began to move horizontally at intervals of a fraction of a second, at constant and identical speeds. Subjects reported a strong impression that the top object was pulling the others, despite the fact that the objects never came into contact or approached each other, moved in different planes, and had no visible connection. The impression was not much affected by speed, direction of motion, or length of delay between successive objects beginning to move. The effect was attenuated if there was prior motion in the opposite direction, if each object in turn rapidly decelerated to a standstill, and if all objects began to move simultaneously. It is unlikely that this impression could be mediated by an innate visual mechanism, and it may reflect perceptual learning.
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ISSN:0002-9556
1939-8298
DOI:10.2307/1423411