PSYCHOLOGY MASTER'S THESIS ABSTRACT

Diane Guettler

MA-Research
May 2004

The Effects of Source Location, Timing, Direction, and Separation of Apparent Motion
in the Visual, Auditory, and Tactile Modalities

    Apparent motion is a perceptual illusion that results in the perceiving of a continuously moving stimulus from the placement and timing of discrete stimuli.  Although the illusion has been studied for more than 100 years, researchers continue to dedicate their energy to the particulars of this phenomenon.  This thesis has investigated the perceiving of path trajectories of apparent motion by asking participants to judge the starting and ending locations of the stimuli that create the illusion.  Past research suggests that certain variables affect the illusion’s path in different ways.   This investigation examined the effects of source location, separation, timing, and direction on apparent motion path in the visual, auditory and tactile modalities.  The reported results broaden the existing apparent motion literature as well as provide new insights for further research.

Psychology Department * CSULB * 1250 Bellflower Blvd. * Long Beach, CA  90840-0901 * 562-985-5001