Motion perception: A modem view of Wertheimer's 1912 monograph

Abstract

Max Wertheimer's 1912 monograph on apparent motion is a seminal contribution to the study of visual motion, but its actual contents are not widely known. This article attempts to clarify what the monograph did and did not contribute, emphasizing links between Wertheimer's principal findings and the results of subsequent investigations of motion perception, including currently active lines of research. The topics discussed include Wertheimer's experimental tests of explanations for apparent motion; his work with motion phenomena that lie between succession and optimum motion; his studies of the influence of attention on motion; explorations of various forms of hysteresis and motion transparency; and Wertheimer's work with a motion-blind patient.