Pursuing Stationary Dots: Smooth Eye Movements and Apparent Movement

Abstract

An apparent movement of a row of stationary simultaneously-presented dots lit with stroboscopic light is perceived if a smooth eye movement is made along the row. Such an apparent movement can itself act as a stimulus for sustained smooth eye movements in the absence of any objective external information about movement. Not only dot rows but also continuous lines may be tracked in this way. The effects of interdot distance and flash rate upon parameters of smooth eye movements and upon saccadic behaviour are examined.