The Movement Of Motion-defined Contours Can Bias Perceived Position

Main Category: Neurology / Neuroscience
Also Included In: Psychology / Psychiatry;  Eye Health / Blindness
Article Date: 08 Jan 2009 - 6:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   view / write opinions   rate article

We are very good at visually localizing an object in space; however, it has been found that movement in the scene can cause us to perceive the position of an object shifted in the direction of the motion.

Edges between moving areas can be easily perceived, but the movement of these edges cannot.

We find that this type of motion can also shift the perceived position of objects.

The size of the displacement indicates that this happens in a brain area high up in the order of processing, but yet before an area that gives rise to conscious perception.

Royal Society journal Biology Letters

Biology Letters publishes short, innovative and cutting-edge research articles and opinion pieces accessible to scientists from across the biological sciences. The journal is characterised by stringent peer-review, rapid publication and broad dissemination of succinct high-quality research communications.

Biology Letters