Motion Extrapolation Performance: A Linear Model Approach

Abstract

Researchers have obtained similar results from different visual motion extrapolation experiments despite the large variety of motion stimuli used. With respect to the ability of human subjects to judge the moment at which an occluded moving stimulus arrives at a predetermined position along its motion path, the general conclusion has been that errors increase with the duration of the occluded motion. However, substantial individual differences are often obscured within this statement. We propose a linear model to describe the performance of human observers in motion extrapolation tasks. The results from an experiment on centrifugal and centripetal motion extrapolation are examined in terms of this model. We discuss the restrictions imposed by the model on conclusions drawn after converting estimated arrival times to velocity estimates or accuracy scores. The parameters of the linear regression describing the individual performance in motion extrapolation tasks might be appropriate measures of interindividual differences.