Year: 2021
Type: article
Abstract: Apparent motion is a robust perceptual phenomenon in which observers perceive a stimulus traversing the vacant visual space between two flashed stimuli. Although it is known that the "filling-in" of apparent motion favors the simplest and most economical path, the interpolative computations remain poorly understood. Here, we tested whether the perception of apparent motion is best characterized by Newtonian physics or kinematic geometry. Participants completed a target detection task while Pacmen-shaped objects were presented in succession to create the perception of apparent motion. We found that target detection was impaired when apparent motion, as predicted by kinematic geometry, not Newtonian physics, obstructed the target's location. Our findings shed light on the computations employed by the visual system, suggesting specifically that the "filling-in" perception of apparent motion may be dominated by kinematic geometry, not Newtonian physics. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
DOI: 10.1037/xhp0000938
Authors: Yaxin Liu, Stella F. Lourenco
Institution: Emory University
Language: English
Subfield: Cognitive Neuroscience
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W3208461863