The impetus theory in judgments about object motion: a new perspective

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Perception
• Physics Cognition

Background:

• Previous research suggests naive impetus theory explains object motion judgments.
• Impetus theory posits acquired force dissipates over time.
• This theory has been used to interpret explicit judgments of object motion.

Purpose of the Study:

• To re-evaluate evidence for the naive impetus theory.
• To propose an alternative explanation for object motion judgments.
• To investigate the influence of external causation on motion perception.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of existing findings on explicit judgments of object motion.
• Theoretical argument reinterpreting data through the lens of action-based understanding.
• Examination of judgments regarding disappeared moving objects.

Main Results:

• Findings interpreted as impetus theory evidence are better explained by a general understanding of externally caused motion.
• This action-based heuristic accounts for data supporting and contradicting impetus theory.
• Judgments of disappeared object locations are explained as visual system extrapolations, not impetus theory.

Conclusions:

• The naive impetus theory is an insufficient explanation for object motion perception.
• An action-based heuristic, derived from experiences of acting on objects, provides a more comprehensive account.
• Visual system's best-guess extrapolations explain judgments of disappeared object locations.