Abstract
The autokinetic effect is an optical illusion. It occurs when a perceiver staring at a stationary pinpoint of light in an otherwise completely dark visual field believes that the light moves from its fixed position. This “self-motion” (auto-kinetic) is caused, in part, by the nearly imperceptible movements of the eye known as saccades. Ordinarily the visual system compensates for these naturally occurring motions of the eye, but when only a single light is visible with no frame of reference, the light appears to wander in unpredictable directions and at variable speeds. This illusion was first noted by astronomers when viewing a single star on a very dark night.
Document Type
Book Chapter
Publication Date
2008
Publisher Statement
Copyright © 2008 Macmillan Reference USA. This book chapter first appeared in International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences.
Please note that downloads of the book chapter are for private/personal use only.
Purchase online at Gale Cengage Learning.
Recommended Citation
Forsyth, Donelson R. "Autokinetic Effect." International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences. Edited by William A. Darity. 2nd ed. Vol. 1. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2008.
