Motion Binding Illusion

by

In this motion blinding illusion, at first, the two sets of lines appear to move independently of each other. However, as soon as the squares are added, all of the lines appear to be moving in a coordinated fashion.

This effect is due to the motion binding illusion where your brain lets the motion of object or set of objects impact how you perceive the motion of other objects.

If you are interested in reading more about motion binding illusions, scroll down to learn some more about it.

Motion Bind Illusions
Created by Michael Bach


Table of Contents

What is the Motion Binding Illusion?

The motion binding illusion is caused by the interaction of multiple moving objects, where the motion of one object influences how we perceive the motion of another object. This is known as the motion assimilation effect.

For example, if two rows of dots are moving in opposite directions, but at the same speed, the dots will appear to be stationary. However, if one row of dots is moving faster than the other, the dots in the slower row will appear to move in the opposite direction. This occurs because the motion of the faster row influences how the brain perceives the motion of the slower row.

How does the Motion Binding Illusion Work?

The motion binding illusion works by taking advantage of the way that the human visual system processes motion information. When we see objects moving, the brain uses several cues to determine the direction and speed of the motion. These cues include changes in luminance (brightness), color, texture, and position over time.

In the case of the motion binding illusion, the brain is presented with multiple moving objects that have different shapes, colors, or textures. When these objects are presented in rapid succession, the brain processes them as a single object that is moving in a particular direction and at a particular speed. This is because the brain automatically tries to “smooth out” the motion information it receives by averaging the motion signals from all the objects in the visual field.

As a result, when one object appears to move in a particular direction, the brain will tend to perceive the other objects as moving in the same direction, even if they are actually stationary or moving in a different direction. This is known as the motion assimilation effect, and it is what creates the illusion of motion binding.

There are several factors that can influence the strength of the motion binding illusion, including the speed and direction of the moving objects, the size and shape of the objects, and the surrounding environment. Overall, the motion binding illusion is a fascinating example of how the brain processes visual information to create our perception of motion and movement in the world around us.

Some Similar Illusions

There are several similar illusions to the motion binding illusion that take advantage of the way our brains process motion information. Here are a few examples:

  1. Motion aftereffect: This illusion occurs when you look at a moving object for an extended period of time and then look at a stationary object. The stationary object will appear to be moving in the opposite direction to the original moving object. This illusion is caused by the way the brain adapts to prolonged exposure to motion stimuli.
  2. Motion-induced blindness: This illusion occurs when a stationary object becomes invisible or disappears when surrounded by a moving pattern. This is thought to occur because the brain selectively filters out motion signals in order to focus on more important information.
  3. Apparent motion: This illusion occurs when two stationary objects are presented in rapid succession in slightly different locations, creating the perception of a single object moving back and forth between the two locations. This illusion is similar to the motion binding illusion, but it involves stationary objects instead of moving ones.
  4. Phi phenomenon: This illusion occurs when a series of stationary lights are presented in rapid succession in a particular sequence, creating the perception of a single light moving back and forth between the different locations. This illusion is similar to the apparent motion illusion but with light stimuli.

Overall, these illusions all involve the perception of motion in the absence of actual movement. They highlight the complex processes that the brain uses to interpret visual information and create our perception of the world around us.

Discovery of the Motion Binding Illusion

The concept of motion binding, also known as motion assimilation or motion pooling, has been studied by many scientists over the years. However, one of the earliest and most influential studies on this phenomenon was conducted by the German psychologist Max Wertheimer.

In the early 1900s, Wertheimer and his colleagues conducted a series of experiments on the perception of apparent motion. They found that when two stationary objects were presented in rapid succession with a brief interval between them, the objects appeared to move back and forth between their locations, creating the perception of motion.

Wertheimer’s work laid the foundation for the study of motion perception and paved the way for later research on motion binding and other related phenomena. Today, motion binding continues to be an active area of research in the fields of psychology, neuroscience, and computer vision, as scientists seek to better understand the mechanisms underlying visual motion processing in the human brain.


References and Resources

Check out our complete list of illusions.