Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Design Example: Measuring Distance Between Two Points with Obstructions01:10

Design Example: Measuring Distance Between Two Points with Obstructions

When measuring distances in areas with physical obstructions, such as a lake in a field, surveyors must employ techniques to calculate accurate lengths without direct line measurements. One effective method is the offset technique, which allows for precise distance estimation over inaccessible stretches.In this scenario, a surveyor must measure a side of an area that crosses a lake. Since the measuring tape cannot span the lake, the surveyor begins by establishing a baseline that aligns with...
Collisions in Multiple Dimensions: Problem Solving01:06

Collisions in Multiple Dimensions: Problem Solving

In multiple dimensions, the conservation of momentum applies in each direction independently. Hence, to solve collisions in multiple dimensions, we should write down the momentum conservation in each direction separately. To help understand collisions in multiple dimensions, consider an example.
A small car of mass 1,200 kg traveling east at 60 km/h collides at an intersection with a truck of mass 3,000 kg traveling due north at 40 km/h. The two vehicles are locked together. What is the...
The Availability Heuristic01:08

The Availability Heuristic

A heuristic is a general problem-solving framework (Tversky & Kahneman, 1974). You can think of these as mental shortcuts that are used to solve problems. Different types of heuristics are used in different types of situations, and the impulse to use a heuristic occurs when one of five conditions is met (Pratkanis, 1989):
Collisions in Multiple Dimensions: Introduction01:05

Collisions in Multiple Dimensions: Introduction

It is far more common for collisions to occur in two dimensions; that is, the initial velocity vectors are neither parallel nor antiparallel to each other. Let's see what complications arise from this. The first idea is that momentum is a vector. Like all vectors, it can be expressed as a sum of perpendicular components (usually, though not always, an x-component and a y-component, and a z-component if necessary). Thus, when the statement of conservation of momentum is written for a problem,...
Depth Perception and Spatial Vision01:15

Depth Perception and Spatial Vision

Depth perception is the ability to perceive objects three-dimensionally. It relies on two types of cues: binocular and monocular. Binocular cues depend on the combination of images from both eyes and how the eyes work together. Since the eyes are in slightly different positions, each eye captures a slightly different image. This disparity between images, known as binocular disparity, helps the brain interpret depth. When the brain compares these images, it determines the distance to an object.
Heuristics01:21

Heuristics

Heuristics are problem-solving strategies that use mental shortcuts to simplify decision-making. Unlike algorithms, which must be followed precisely to achieve a correct result, heuristics offer a general problem-solving framework. They save time and energy but can sometimes lead to less rational decisions.
People often rely on heuristics when faced with an overload of information, limited time, low importance of the decision, limited information, or when a heuristic readily comes to mind. For...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

The spontaneous prioritization of "unfinishedness" in perception: A visual Zeigarnik effect.

Journal of experimental psychology. General·2026
Same author

Dynamic categorical memory distortion from "visual verbs".

Cognition·2025
Same author

The El Greco Fallacy, this Time with Feeling: How (not) to Measure Group Differences in Emotional Intensity.

Affective science·2025
Same author

Pouring, scooping, bouncing, rolling, twisting, and rotating: Does spontaneous categorical perception of dynamic event types reflect verbal encoding or visual processing?

Attention, perception & psychophysics·2025
Same author

How to show that a cruel prank is worse than a war crime: Shifting scales and missing benchmarks in the study of moral judgment.

Cognition·2025
Same author

Attending to attention: Reverse correlation reveals subtle cues to attentiveness in others' faces.

Psychonomic bulletin & review·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 25, 2026

Estimation of Contact Regions Between Hands and Objects During Human Multi-Digit Grasping
09:41

Estimation of Contact Regions Between Hands and Objects During Human Multi-Digit Grasping

Published on: April 21, 2023

A simple proximity heuristic allows tracking of multiple objects through occlusion.

Steven L Franconeri1, Zenon W Pylyshyn, Brian J Scholl

  • 1Northwestern University, 2029 Sheridan Rd, Evanston, IL 60208, USA. franconeri@northwestern.edu

Attention, Perception & Psychophysics
|January 25, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Visual tracking of objects through occlusion relies on spatial proximity. Objects are tracked by linking pre- and post-occlusion views based on how close they reappear, not their predicted path.

More Related Videos

A Methodology for Capturing Joint Visual Attention Using Mobile Eye-Trackers
12:39

A Methodology for Capturing Joint Visual Attention Using Mobile Eye-Trackers

Published on: January 18, 2020

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 25, 2026

Estimation of Contact Regions Between Hands and Objects During Human Multi-Digit Grasping
09:41

Estimation of Contact Regions Between Hands and Objects During Human Multi-Digit Grasping

Published on: April 21, 2023

A Methodology for Capturing Joint Visual Attention Using Mobile Eye-Trackers
12:39

A Methodology for Capturing Joint Visual Attention Using Mobile Eye-Trackers

Published on: January 18, 2020

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive psychology
  • Neuroscience
  • Visual perception

Background:

  • The human visual system must track objects despite temporary disappearances due to occlusion.
  • The robustness of multi-object tracking through occlusion suggests underlying efficient heuristics.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify the primary heuristic used by the visual system for tracking objects through occlusion.
  • To determine if spatial proximity or predictive information guides object tracking during occlusion.

Main Methods:

  • Participants tracked multiple objects undergoing occlusion.
  • The proximity of post-occlusion object reappearance to pre-occlusion views was systematically varied.
  • Object reappearance locations were manipulated to contradict predictive trajectory information.

Main Results:

  • Object tracking through occlusion improved significantly when post-occlusion views were spatially closer to pre-occlusion views.
  • This proximity effect persisted even when reappearance locations contradicted predicted trajectories.
  • Tracking was effective even when objects reappeared from "slits" in empty space, emphasizing proximity over occluder structure.

Conclusions:

  • The visual system primarily uses spatial proximity to link object views across occlusion.
  • Object tracking through occlusion does not rely on encoding heading information or likely reappearance locations.
  • The heuristic appears to be a simple spatial linking mechanism, independent of complex predictive modeling or occluder geometry.