title: Hierarchical motion organization in random dot configurations.
abstract: Motion organization has 2 aspects: the extraction of a (moving) frame of reference and the hierarchical organization of moving elements within the reference frame. Using a discrimination of relative motions task, the authors found large differences between different types of motion (translation, divergence, and rotation) in the degree to which each can serve as a moving frame of reference. Translation and divergence are superior to rotation. There are, however, situations in which rotation can serve as a reference frame. This is due to the presence of a second factor, structural invariants (SIs). SIs are spatial relationships persisting among the elements within a configuration such as a collinearity among points or one point coinciding with the center of rotation for another (invariant radius). The combined effect of these 2 factors--motion type and SIs-influences perceptual motion organization.
authors.affiliation: Division of Psychology, Staffordshire University, Stoke-on-Trent, United Kingdom. m.bertamini@liverpool.ac.uk
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bertamini
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Proffitt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009038:Motion; D009039:Motion Perception; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual; D017603:Signal Detection, Psychological; D013028:Space Perception