Motion-Induced Perceptual Extrapolation of Blurred Visual Targets

In the motion-extrapolation hypothesis, the visual system can extrapolate the instantaneous position of a moving object from its past trajectory. The existence of such a mechanism in human vision has been intensely debated. Here, we show compelling perceptual extrapolation of both first- and second-order moving stimuli, the magnitude of which depends on blurring of the visual target. The spatiotemporal characteristics of the extrapolation can be quantitatively accounted for by a simple model based on temporally biphasic neuronal response, a property widely observed among sensory neurons. Thus, motion-induced perceptual extrapolation exists in human vision, and spatial blurring is an important factor in the interaction between motion and perceptual localization.