Multiple object tracking

Abstract

In psychology and neuroscience, multiple object tracking (MOT) refers to the ability of humans and other animals to simultaneously monitor multiple objects as they move. It is also the term for a laboratory technique used to study this ability. In an MOT study, a number of identical moving objects are presented on a display. Some of the objects are designated as targets while the rest serve as distractors. Study participants try to monitor the changing positions of the targets as they and the distractors move about. At the end of the trial, participants typically are asked to indicate the final positions of the targets. The results of MOT experiments have revealed dramatic limitations on humans' ability to simultaneously monitor multiple moving objects. For example, awareness of features such as color and shape is disrupted by the objects' movement.