The representation of uniform motion in vision

For veridical detection of object motion any moving detecting system must allocate motion appropriately between itself and objects in space. A model for such allocation is developed for simplified situations (points of light in uniform motion in a frontoparallel plane). It is proposed that motion of objects is registered and represented successively at four levels within frames of reference that are defined by the detectors themselves or by their movements. The four levels are referred to as retinocentric, orbitocentric, egocentric, and geocentric. Thus the retinocentric signal is combined with that for eye rotation to give an orbitocentric signal, and the left and right orbitocentric signals are combined to give an egocentric representation. Up to the egocentric level, motion representation is angular rather than three-dimensional. The egocentric signal is combined with signals for head and body movement and for egocentric distance to give a geocentric representation. It is argued that although motion perception is always geocentric, relevant registrations also occur at the three earlier levels. The model is applied to various veridical and nonveridical motion phenomena.     

Provoked and unprovoked aggressiveness in athletes

In a factorial design, athletic involvement (no varsity sport, varsity noncontact sport, varsity contact sport) was varied with induced disposition (unprovoked, provoked). Under conditions of no provocation, no significant differences in aggressiveness were observed between nonathletes and athletes, nor between noncontact- and contact-sport athletes. In contrast, under conditions of provocation, nonathletes displayed more aggressiveness than athletes. Non-contact-sport athletes behaved significantly less aggressively than both nonathletes and contact-sport athletes. Contact-sport athletes failed to behave significantly less aggressively than nonathletes, however. The findings were explained as the result of an acquired superior ability in athletes to cope with provocation under competitive circumstances, which is partially counteracted in contact-sport athletes by their aggressiveness habits and disinhibition training.     

Evaluations of subjective complexity,pleasingness and interestingness for a series of random polygons varying in complexity

A series of random-shaped polygons varying in number of sides in approximately even logarithmic steps from four to 160 sides was generated. Ss were required to compare all possible pairs of figures on one of three scales-subjective complexity, pleasingness and interestingness. Subjective evaluations of complexity continued to increase with informational content. Pleasingness evaluations described a bimodal function, peafeing at the 6-sided and 28-sided levels then falling rapidly with increased complexity. Interestingness efaluations rosé to a peafe at the 28-sided figure and remained high throughout the rest of the series.