Representational momentum contributes to motion induced mislocalization of stationary objects

The influence of a moving target on memory for the location of a briefly presented stationary object was examined. When the stationary object was aligned with the final portion of the moving target's trajectory, memory for the location of the stationary object was displaced forward (i.e., in the direction of motion of the moving target); the magnitude of forward displacement increased with increases in the velocity of the moving target, decreased with increases in the distance of the stationary object from the final location of the moving target, and increased and then decreased with increases in retention interval. It is suggested that forward displacement in memory for a stationary object aligned with the final portion of a moving target's trajectory reflects an influence of representational momentum of the moving target on memory for the location of the stationary object. Implications of the data for theories of representational momentum and motion induced mislocalization are discussed.