Representational momentum and Michotte's "launching effect" paradigm (1946/1963).

Abstract

In A. Michotte's (1946/1963) launching effect, a moving launcher contacts a stationary target, and then the launcher becomes stationary and the target begins to move. In this experiment, observers viewed modifications of a launching effect display, and displacement in memory for the location of targets was measured. Forward displacement of targets in launching effect displays was decreased relative to that of targets (a) that were presented in isolation and either moved at a constant fast or slow velocity or decelerated or (b) that moved in a direction orthogonal to previous motion of the launcher. Possible explanations involving a deceleration of motion or landmark attraction effects were ruled out. Displacement patterns were consistent with naive impetus theory and the hypothesis that observers believed impetus from the launcher was imparted to the target and then dissipated.

Judgements of agency in schizophrenia: an impairment in autonoetic metacognition

“…Perhaps the most studied of these factors that affect judgements of causality is temporal contiguity. Michotte ([47], and see [48]) has shown that when one moving object makes contact with another, and then the second, without any delay, begins to move, this interaction is perceived as causal with the first object causing the movement of the second. Michotte called this phenomenon the 'launching' effect.…”

Computational Theory and Cognition in Representational Momentum and Related Types of Displacement: A reply to Kerzel

“…If displacement is not necessarily coupled with oculomotor overshoot more generally, oculomotor overshoot might mediate or modulate forward displacement with smooth motion targets, and a third variable (e.g., high-level expectation) would be the ultimate cause of displacement with smooth motion targets. Indeed, "displacement ϭ constant delay * velocity" does not account for important aspects of forward displacement with smooth motion targets (e.g., differences between launched and unlaunched targets [Hubbard, Blessum, & Ruppel, 2001], effects of verbal cue validity [Hubbard, 1994]) unless a third variable, such as high-level expectation, influences eye movements. Kerzel (2006) admits that "high-level factors such as expectations about the future trajectory of the target may influence smooth pursuit eye movements" (p. 167) and "smooth pursuit eye movements are always predictive in nature and prediction is a high-level process" (p. 168).…”

Perceiving expressions of emotion: What evidence could bear on questions about perceptual experience of mental states?

“…Sometimes when adult humans observe a moving object that disappears, they will misremember the location of its disappearance in way that reflects its momentum; this effect is called representational momentum (Freyd & Finke 1984;Hubbard 2010). e trajectories implied by representational momentum reveal that the effect reflects impetus mechanics rather than Newtonian principles (Freyd & Jones 1994;Kozhevnikov & Hegarty 2001;Hubbard et al 2001;Hubbard 2013). And these trajectories are independent of subjects' scientific knowledge (Freyd & Jones 1994;Kozhevnikov & Hegarty 2001).…”