Richard Platt wrote:
> A student in Intro asked about why when you are looking at
> the wheels of a moving car it can sometimes appear that the
> wheels are turning in the opposite direction of the car's
> movement. I have heard an explanation of this kind of
> phenomenon when viewed in a film or under artificial
> lighting that relies on having a rotation rate that is a close
> match to the flicker rate of the artificial light. However,
> I can't explain why it would occur under natural light.
> The sun doesn't have a flicker rate. Can anyone
> help me with this question?
I think I'd start by being skeptical about the phenomenology. Is this something
that individuals routinely report? (I don't notice it myself.) Is it possible
that the student is confused about what he/she has seen in the real world vs.
what he/she has seen in movies or on TV? Is it possible that he/she is
suggestible (i.e., what happens on the screen is actually what happens in the
real world)?
...maybe the tactic with the student is to ask him/her how one might check on
the generality of the effect and go from there?
Pat Cabe
**************************************************
Patrick Cabe, Ph.D.
Department of Psychology
University of North Carolina at Pembroke
One University Drive
Pembroke, NC 28372-1510
(910) 521-6630
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
