SLOW-MOTION TUNNEL EFFECT: AN INQUIRY INTO VERTICAL OR-

GANIZATION OF PERCEPTUAL EVENTS

Giovanni Bruno Vicario and Yoshie Kiritani

1. Introduction

Let us consider the stimulus situation depicted in figure 1, where a small square
(a: 5x5 mm) is in motion (40 cm/sec) toward a big standing rectangle (x: 40x80 mm),
and when in contact with it, progressively disappears. After a while (100 msec), a si-
milar square (b) appears on the opposite side, in motion on the same course at the
same speed. In figure 1, on the left, we have the typical sketching of the situation;
on the right we have another sketching, where the space of the frontoparallel plane
(s, on the abscisse) and the temporal dimension (t, on ordinate) are represented. In
this latter sketch we see that x is lasting in its place over time, where a is moving to-
ward x and b is moving away from x.

Figure. 1: Tunnel effect. At left its traditional sketching; at right a representation of

it that can account even for the dimension of time. (a = the first mobile ; b =
the second mobile; x = a screen covering the trajectory of the two mobiles;
t = axis of physical time; s = one-dimensional representation of frontopara l-
lel plane; EEI = entry -exit interval of time, from the disappearing of the first
mobile to the appearance of the second mobile.)
 Vicario & Kiritani, Slow-motion tunnel effect 101

In looking at the situation, the observer perceives just one object, displaying an
uninterrupted motion in open field and behind the big rectangle that is experienced
as a screen: this is tunnel effect. (On this point, see also METZGER 1975, p. 584.)
The motion of the small square in open field has of course the character of a full per-
ception, where the motion behind the screen, although compelling, shares the cha-
racter that MICHOTTE and BURKE (1951; see also METZGER 1975, chapter XIII,
and KANIZSA 1991) call amodal (“modes” would be sense functions, like vision,
audition, haptics etc.). To understand the meaning of the term “amodal”, put a pencil
horizontally on the three triangles depicted in fig. 2, so to cover both the gap and the
crossing lines: you will see three perfectly alike triangles, which visible parts “amo-
dally complete themselves” behind the pencil. By the way, the picture was devised
by MICHOTTE, THINÈ and CRABBÉ (1964), in order to demonstrate that there is
no use in knowing what is really there behind the screen: amodal completion takes
place only on the basis of emerging parts of the “hidden” object.

Figure 2: Amodal perception. Put a pencil horizontally on the figure so to hide the
crossing lines and the g ap: the three triangles will be perceived as perfectly
alike, despit the fact that the observer perfectly knows what is hidden be-
hind the pencil (from M ICHOTTE, THINÈS and CRABBÉ, 1964).

BURKE (1952) performed a detailed study on tunnel effect, varying the speed of
the object, the length of the tunnel and the EEI (entry-exit interval: entry of the first
object and exit of the second one). The main results of his inquiry can be summari-
zed as follows: (1) when all the conditions are favourable, one perceives one single
object in motion at uniform speed, in open field and behind the screen; (2) when the
EEI and the length of the tunnel are discordant (e.g., a tunnel too short combined
with a long EEI, or a tunnel too long combined with an EEI too short), two objects
are seen in motion, acting as independent events; (3) when the EEI and the length of
the tunnel are not too discordant, several half measures take place: the moving ob-
ject is one, but it slowes down its motion, or stops just a while behind the screen;
the moving objects are two, but the second one begins its motion in perceived con-
nection with the arrival of the first, etc.; (4) the optimal EEI for the vision of a single
102 Gestalt Theory, Vol. 21 (1999), No. 2

movement at uniform speed is shorter than the time a real object would take in order
to overcome a real tunnel of a given length. (The last point reminds of the “pheno-
menal shrinkage” discovered by KANIZSA, 1975, in the amodal completion of static
object. See also VICARIO and TOMAT, 1992.)
MICHOTTE (1962; see also BUTTERWORTH 1991) treated the tunnel effect as
an example of what he called phenomenal permanence, that is the phenomenal e-
xistence of objects after they disappear from view (in tunnel effect, this concerns the
first mobile) or before they are coming to light (in tunnel effect, this concerns the se-
cond mobile). Phenomenal permanence should be granted by the screen effect, that
is by the impression that in the progressively hiding (or emerging) of a moving ob-
ject behind a screen, the parts of the object that are already hidden (or going to ap-
pear soon) are perceptually, even if amodally, present (see KNOPS, 1962). As a mat-
ter of fact, MICHOTTE is considering tunnel effect as the comb ination of two screen
effects, the one giving rise to a succeeding permanence (for the first mobile) and the
other giving rise to a preceding permanence (for the second mobile): in the afore-
said favourable conditions, the joining of the two effects would lead to the percepti-
on of a unique object and of an unique movement. MICHOTTE’s view of the tunnel
effect as a general feature of the perception of events is supported by the fact that
we have the same experience in auditory domain. If we substitute a part of a long to-
ne with a white noise, we hear a continuous tone going behind the noise and then to
surface uninterrupted at the end of the noise (provided that the noise level is at least
40 dB over the level of the tone, and that the noise is lasting not over 700 msec: see
VICARIO, 1960, or 1982).
However, there is the well grounded claim that tunnel effect could also be consi-
dered as a problem of phenomenal identity, since the very fact emerging from the si-
tuation is that for optimal EEI and tunnel lengths, the second mobile is perceived as
the same that first appeared on the opposite side, and then ran behind the screen
(see PETTER, 1957, or BOZZI, 1969, pp. 214-264; the problem of phenomenal identity
was treated in depth by METZGER, 1934). Tunnel effect would be nothing more than
a sort of stroboscopic movement, where the first mobile represents the first light,
and the second mobile the second light. (In fact, tunnel effect was first described by
WERTHEIMER, 1912, in his inquiries on apparent movement.) In this sense, the
main feature of both stroboscopic movement and tunnel effect should be the
constancy of identity, where the apparent movement and respectively the welding of
the actual movements behind the screen are the side effects of object constancy: (1)
there is a light at a certain place and at a certain moment; (2) after a while and just a
little apart in visual field, there is another light that shares with the first the same fea-
tures, like size, brightness, and so on; (3) perceptual hypothesis is that the second
light is the same first light; but (4) in order to materialize the perceptual hypothesis,
the first light has to move from first to second position; (5) we see the movement. In
tunnel effect things go likewise: the second mobile is recognized as the first mobile,
but this sort of identification requires the movement behind the tunnel, from the
entry to the exit point. By the way, there is a problem of milliseconds, in the sense
 Vicario & Kiritani, Slow-motion tunnel effect 103

that certain intervals favour both stroboscopic movement and tunnel effect, where
other intervals destroy both the kinetic structures.

2. Horizontal organization of events

Tunnel effect may be viewed also in the light of the overall problem of the percep-
tion of events. As VICARIO (1994 and 1995) tried to establish, following the setting
out of KOFFKA (1962), perception of events needs a clarification of conditions or of
processes that lead to mutual segregation of events themselves within the uncea-
sing flow of anonymous and unrelated physical stimuli. In static arrangements of vi-
sual stimuli, where the concern is limited to the mutual segregation of objects
(WERTHEIMER, 1923), there is only a problem of spacial conditions, since the sti-
mulation of all the points of the field is simultaneous and invariant. In visual kinetic
displays, as in auditory domain, we must take into account even the temporal dimen-
sion, since the stimulation changes here and there in a perceptual field running over
time. Adding the new dimension means that the problem of mutual segregation of
visual events seems to have now two faces: the one concerning the segregation in
space, the other the segregation over time. (On this problem, see MÜLLER, 1963, or
even VICARIO, 1965.) We think that in this difficult situation, two concepts may be
of some use: horizontal and vertical organization of events.
Horizontal organization refers to the fact that (a) in some cases events are percei-
ved as following each other but are experienced as mutually independent, where (b)
in some other cases events are perceived as linked together, that is as parts of a uni-
que event. We observe the first possibility considering the words in an utterance, or
the phrases in a melody, or even in a movement that stops and then recovers after a
substantial time interval: this is horizontal segregation. We observe the second
possibility considering vowels and consonants in a single word, the notes in a me-
lody or even in movements occurring in strict succession, like in pendular motion:
this is horizontal integration. As to tunnel effect, horizontal segregation refers to
the fact that with tunnels too wide, or with EEIs too long, the event A (a mobile ap-
proaches the screen) has nothing to do with event B (a mobile leaves the screen),
and therefore we perceive two events and two objects; horizontal integration refers
to the fact that with a proper width of the tunnel, associated with a proper EEI, we
see just one movement of one object, where the whole kinetic structure is articulated
in three parts: the approaching of a mobile (A1) to the screen, the tunneling (X) and
the leaving of the mobile out of the tunnel (A2). In figure 3 the two different results
of horizontal organization (integration, segregation) in tunnel effect are depicted.
104 Gestalt Theory, Vol. 21 (1999), No. 2

Figure 3: Horizontal organization in the tunnel effect. According to the stimulus

condition, we can have integration (one event, on top), or segregation (two
events, at bottom).
 Vicario & Kiritani, Slow-motion tunnel effect 105

In fact, the work of BURKE (1952) consisted in a plain investigation of the condi-
tions of the horizontal organization of events. That is, he simply accepted the fact
that in some cases the separation in physical domain involves the perception of two
successive events, and in some cases allows of the perception of a single event. As
one can see in figure 4 on the left, we have two distinct events as to the distal stimu-
lus (a and b: two distinct groups of pixel are successively activated on the screen of
the monitor) and the proximal stimulus (two areas of the retina are successively sti-
mulated), but the perceptual outcome does not always correspond to the physical
reality nor to the peripheral sensory facts. With some combination of velocities,
lengths of the tunnel and EEI intervals (figure 4, on the upper right) we see two
squares (A and B) and two independent movements succeeding each other; with o-
ther combinations of the same factors we see just one movement in three phases,
organized in the motion of just one object (A1-X-A2, see figure 4 on the lower right).
In the first case the perceptual organization of events goes to the horizontal segre-
gation; in the second case it goes to the horizontal integration.

Figure 4: The same occurrence in physical time can give rise to two different events
in phenomenal time (according to segregation or to integration).

3. Vertical organization

Vertical organization refers to the fact that events are also perceived as simulta-
neously but separately present, e.g. voices in cocktail party effect, melodies in musi-
cal counterpoint or independent movements in the same kinetic structure (for in-
stance, a person going upstairs on a sliding scale). Now, tunnel effect may be
employed even to clarify and to investigate vertical separation of events, even if we
have to deal with a special sort of tunnel effect: a "slow-motion" one, where we can
106 Gestalt Theory, Vol. 21 (1999), No. 2

see at the same time the screen effect (the same in action in ordinary tunnel effect) on
both sides of the central rectangle. Let us consider the stimulus situation depicted in
figure 5, where we have a standing rectangle y (18x53 mm), an area c progressively
shrinking at a speed of 10 mm/sec (of its tail side) and an area d progressively ex-
panding at the same speed (of its head side). In figure 5, on the right, the situation is
represented even in its temporal dimension.

Figure 5: Slow-motion tunnel effect. At left a traditional sketching of it; at right the
representation that accounts for the dimension of time. (c = a surface slo w-
ly decre asing in size; y = a stationary surface; d = a surface correspon-
dingly increasing in size; see also figure 1.)

What one sees, is a lying rectangle smoothly sliding behind a standing screen.
As we have just said, the perceptual outcome is due to the linking of two screen ef-
fects acting in the same direction, that is from the left to the right. Nevertheless, the-
re is to point out that the unicity of the perceived object is grounded on the identifi-
cation of the perceptual event occurring on the left (the rectangle progressively di-
sappearing behind the screen) as a part of a larger perceptual event that includes the
perceptual event occurring on the right (the rectangle progressively emerging out of
the screen) and the “amodal” presence of the third part of the rectangle behind the
screen. We have to understand that the description of distal stimulus (what occurs
on the surface of the CRT, provided that we employ a videographic computer to dis-
play the situation) and the description of the proximal stimulus (what occurs on the
retina, at the periphery of the central nervous system) involves two distinct physical
events: a group of pixels lighting off on the left, and another group of pixels lighting
on on the right; otherwise, a decreasing number of neurons firing for the left, and an
increasing number of neurons firing for the right. The fact that the two distal or pro-
ximal events are simultaneous does of course not guarantee the unicity of the per-
 Vicario & Kiritani, Slow-motion tunnel effect 107

ceived event: they take place in different regions of the CRT and of the retina. Figure
6 may help to realize the argument.

Figure 6: In slow motion tunnel effect there are two physical occurences: c on the
left and d on the right, simultaneous and parallel in physical time.

Now, as we shall see in figure 7, identification of C with D does occur not always.
As we shall see later, in some cases the rectangle emerging on the right is not the
same as the rectangle submerging on the left, owing to gross disparities between the
two surfaces, their setting and their rate of evolution. In this way we realize that the-
re is a problem of vertical organization, in the sense that some stimulus conditions
lead to the perception of a couple of events (movements) that correspond to physi-
cal (and physiological) occurrences, and other stimulus conditions lead to the per-
ception of a single event articulated in three simultaneous parts. In figure 7 the mat-
ter is conceptualized. On top we have the status of affairs in physical time t, where
the decrement in area of c and the increment in area of d are obviously superposed,
since they occur at the same time (see the interval t1 -t2 in figure 5). At bottom we
have the two possible perceptual outcomes in phenomenal time T: (1) vertical seg-
regation, that is the perception of two simultaneous events, like two movements or
two objects whose simultaneous movements are correlated; (2) vertical integration,
that is the perception of just one single event, like a moving object whose parts are
here visible, and there hidden behind a screen.
108 Gestalt Theory, Vol. 21 (1999), No. 2

Figure 7: Vertical integration in the slow-motion tunnel effect. The same physical
superimposed occurrences in physical time can give rise to two different
phenomenal events (according to the parameters of the stimulation): two
simultaneous independent perceptual events (segregation, on left) or a
single event (integration, at right).

4. Preliminary remarks

We will now start analysing the slow-motion tunnel effect, in order to show the
many aspects of it, some of which are useful for the general problem of formation of
events in perceptual field, where some other deserve attention for their own. Our re-
port will be rather qualitative than quantitative, given that in this step of the research
is even difficult to focus single questions. As to the method, we made use of exp eri-
mental phenomenology (on this topic see THINÈS, 1977 and 1991, or VICARIO,
1993a), postponing crude experimentation to a more defined state of affairs. We ho-
 Vicario & Kiritani, Slow-motion tunnel effect 109

pe indeed to attract attention to a method that, during the flourishing of Gestalt psy-
chology, assured to the study of perception a matchless number of facts.
As to the tools of our inquiry, we made use of short animations prepared by
means of the programs MacroMind Director 3.1 and MacroMind Accelerator 3.1,
performed by a computer Mcintosh IIfx on a 13" AppleColor monitor (refresh rate:
66.7 Hz; resolution 640x480 pixels; pixel = .35 mm). In all the animations the standing
rectangle is black (0.826 cd/m²), the moving rectangle is light grey (51.977 cd/m²), and
the background is white (78.015 cd/m²).
The animations have been proposed to five experienced observers, who looked at
the screen from a comfortable distance, mainly 70 cm. The results of observations
have no statistical claim or significance: they are only generical directions for the
theory and the next experimentation.
As to the description of the stimulus situations employed in the observations, let
us start from figure 5, and let us conceptualize the variable conditions making use of
figure 8.

Figure 8: Dimensions of the stimulus situation examined (see the text).

y is the standing rectangle, with a fixed heigth of 53 mm, and a variable width my ;
c is the surface decreasing or increasing (as to its area) on the left of the standing
rectangle y: its height is mc , its length is lc ; d is the surface increasing or decreasing
(as to its area) on the right of the rectangle: its heigth is md , its length is ld ; vc is the
110 Gestalt Theory, Vol. 21 (1999), No. 2

speed of decrement/increment of c; vd is the speed of increment/decrement of d; r is

the deviation from coaxiality of c and d (for r = 0, the axis of c and d is the same).
We will now report the results of our observations regarding the following points:

[1] influence of the speed of decrement/increment of c and d (phenomenally,

the speed of each visible part of the moving rectangle);
[2] influence of the width of the standing rectangle (phenomenally, the width
of the screen behind which the horizontal rectangle is moving);
[3] influence of the deviation from coaxiality r of the surfaces c and d on eit-
her side of the screen;
[4] influence of the height of either surfaces c and d; for instance, a narrow
rectangle on the left and a wide rectangle on the right;
[5] influence of the relation between decrement or increment on one side and
the increment or decrement on the other side (in the previous conditions
left side shrinks, and right side grows, but we can have even a rectangle
which parts are simultaneously shrinking or growing).
However, there are some missing points, that is stimulus conditions that we for
the moment did not attend to. To mention the most important ones:
[6] influence of the starting frame: any animation can begin with the sole ap-
pearence of the left rectangle, with no cue for another rectangle on the
opposite side; otherwise, at the beginning a little portion of the opposi-
te triangle is in place;
[7] influence of the last frame: any animation can end with the sole presence
of the rectangle on the right, being the rectangle on the left quite disap-
peared behind the screen; otherwise, at the end of animation a little por-
tion of the left rectangle is still in place;
[8] for all the conditions, the influence of asyncronies in appearing or disap-
pearing of either rectangle on the opposite side: for instance, the left
rectangle goes behind the screen, but it appears on the right too soon
or too late.
 Vicario & Kiritani, Slow-motion tunnel effect 111

5. Experimental observations

[1] Influence of speed

The width of the rectangle my was 18 mm; the width of both c and d was 7 mm.
There were 7 degrees of speed for the decrement of c and the increment of d: 6, 7, 9,
12. 15, 17 and 35 mm/sec. The ratios of decrement to increment were made by the
combinations appearing in table 1.

Table 1: The ratios of speeds (decrement to increment) of the evolution of surfaces

c and d (with the absolute speeds) in observed situations. Boldfaced num-
bers refer to those ratios for which there is integration of the two move-
ments into one.

speed of increment of d (mm/sec)

6 7 9 12 15 17 35
6 1:1.5 1:2 1:3 1:6
7 1:2 1:2.5 1:5
speed of 9 1.5:1 1:2 1:4
Decrement of 12 2:1 1:1.5 1:3
c (mm/sec) 15 2:1 1:2.5
17 3:1 2.5:1 2:1 1.5:1 1:2
35 6:1 5:1 4:1 3:1 2.5:1 2:1

In short, there were 26 situations to be observed, with 7 ratios in which c decrea-

sed with higher speed than b increased, and with other 7 ratios im which d increased
more rapidly than c decreased. Of course, some ratios have been observed at vari-
ous absolute levels. Not all the combinations of speeds have been observed, as one
can infer from the empty cells of table 1. The ratio 1:1 has been not analyzed, since it
brought no problems about the unicity of the moving rectangle.
The reports of the observers can be summarized as follows. In general, if the ratio
of decrement to increment was less than 1:2.5 or 2.5:1, one single moving object was
perceived: C and D were seen as parts of the same object. The perception of one
single object became ambiguous with increasing the ratio. When the ratio was grea-
ter than 1:3 or 3:1, one single object was not perceived any more: C and D were seen
as two distinct objects, that is, C went behind the screen and another object D e-
merged from it. The effect of absolute speed went to be not so clear.
112 Gestalt Theory, Vol. 21 (1999), No. 2

Interestingly enough, some observers reported that for a given ratio it was easier
to see one single object when D was faster; on the contrary, it was easier to see two
distinct objects when C was faster. Considering the moving direction of the percei-
ved object, D is its head and C is its tail. When the speed of the head is greater than
the speed of the tail, one easily sees an unique elastically stretched object; when the
speed of the tail is greater than the speed of the head, it is rather hard to see one sin-
gle object which rear part is pressed down a head that resists to move. (On this
point, see also VICARIO 1997.) This seems to be the reason why it is easier to see
two distinct objects when the tail is faster than the head; in other words, the percep-
tion of a stretchable object becomes easier than the perception of a squeezed one.

[2] Influence of the width of the standing rectangle

Coming to another variable, namely the width of the standing rectangle y, we tried
to investigate its influence by observing its effects on the threshold between single-
object and two-objects impressions. In other words, that threshold became our de-
pendent variable. We made use of 4 levels of width: .35. 3.5. 18 and 71 mm. The width
of c and d was ever 7 mm. The ratios of vc and vd examined were the same indicated
in table 1. 104 combinations have been investigated.
The results of observations are as follows. Although the effects of relative speed
were similar to those of prior experiment — that is, one single object for small ratios,
and two distinct objects for great ratios — different widths of the standing rectangle
y (the screen) entailed different thresholds between one- and two-object impressi-
ons. When the width of the standing rectangle y is 71 mm, the perception of two
moving objects is coercive: some observers reported it even for the ratios 1:1.5 and
1.5:1 (that in the prior experiment, where the width of the screen was 18 mm, obtained
the 100% of one-object impression). When the width of the standing rectangle is 18
mm, we have the outcomes already reported in the preceding paragraph; in order to
obtain the two-objects impression, we have to reach at least the 1:3 or 3:1 ratio.
Finally, it seems that there is no difference between the 3.5 and .35 mm widths of the
standing rectangle: in fact, a rectangle just 3.5 mm wide is seen as a thick line, and
the rectangle .35 mm wide is seen as a thin line. Anyway, the threshold between one-
object and two-objects shifts some more toward greater ratios.

[3] Influence of the deviation from coaxiality

The deviation from coaxiality (r, see figure 8) was investigated, supposing that it
might have influence on the threshold between that ratios that allow the perception
of one moving object and that ratios that give rise to the perception of two moving
objects. Both c and d were 7 mm in width. We made use of 8 degrees of deviation: 0,
.7, 1.4, 2.5, 3.5, 5.3, 7 and 10.6 mm. Deviation 0 means that there was no difference
between the horizontal position of c and that of d; deviations are all positive, in the
sense that d is ever above c (like in figure 8); when r = 7 mm, the lower side of d is
collinear with the upper side of c; when r > 7 mm, c and d are completely separated.
 Vicario & Kiritani, Slow-motion tunnel effect 113

We chose three values for vc and vd : 6, 12 and 35 mm/sec, in so obtaining 72 stimu-

lus situations (3 speeds for c, x 3 speeds for d x 8 values for r). The width of the
standing rectangle y was ever 17 mm.
Let us consider first the three cases of ratio 1:1 between the speeds. When the
speed is the same on either side of the screen, it is difficult to distinguish between
perfect coaxiality (r = 0) and the smallest deviation (r = .7 mm). When r = 1.4 mm, one
sees the décalage, but this does not impair the perception of a single object moving
behind the screen; rather, one sees the rectangle to writhe during the passage under
the screen. (A similar effect is reported by Burke 1962, p. 401, for fast tunnel effect.)
An experiment is needed to fix the threshold between the vision of a single or of two
objects in function of r; we can just say that at least one observer reported the per-
ception of a single object (even if twisted) in the case of r = 3.5 mm (one half of the
width of the rectangle).
Now we consider the ratios different from 1:1. When the speed of c’s decrements
and d’s increments are unequal, two distinct moving objects are perceived in almost
every case, and an effect of perceptual causality is often reported. When c decrea-
ses faster than d increases and the deviation is modest, left rectangle seems to push
out the right one. When c decreases slower than d increases, and the deviation r is
lesser than 5.3 mm, right rectangle seems to drag out the left one out of the screen.
In general, the impression of dragging is a bit clearer than that of pushing. Dragging
or pulling is easier observable with the ratio 1:6; pushing is easier observable when
the ratio is 3:1; causal connections disappear when the deviation from coaxiality r is
more than 3.5 mm. (These cases of perceived causality between movements that are
simultaneous, instead of being successive, are briefly discussed in VICARIO,
1998b.)
It is worth to mention some illusions of misalignment between the two rectangles,
when they appear as independent objects. For mc = md = 7 mm, and r = 5.3 mm, there
is a sort of overlap of 1.8 mm between the two rectangles; despite this overlap, the
upper side of the left rectangle is seen as collinear with the lower side of the right
one. For mc = md = 7 mm, and r = 7 mm, the upper side of the left rectangle and the
lower side of the right rectangle are actually collinear, but this time one can observe
a sort of gap between their trajectories.

[4] Influence of the height of the evolving surfaces

The influence of mc and md has been investigated, once again in connection with
the threshold between the perception of a unique object and the perception of two
objects.
There are 6 levels of height for both c and d: 3.5, 7, 10.6, 14.1, 17.7 and 21 mm;
from 36 combinations, 22 cases are chosen (see Table 2). Seven ratios of speeds of
decrement to increment are made from four absolute speeds: 1:1 (6 mm/sec), 1:2 (6
and 12 mm/sec), 1:3 (6 and 18 mm/sec), 1:6 (6 and 36 mm/sec), 2:1 (12 and 6 mm/sec),
3:1 (18 and 6 mm/sec), and 6:1 (36 and 6 mm/sec). The heights and speeds are comb i-
114 Gestalt Theory, Vol. 21 (1999), No. 2

ned so that the narrower part increases or decreases with higher speed. Thus, the to-
tal number of observed situations is 88. The width of the standing rectangle y is held
constant at 17 mm.

Table 2: The width ratios between c and d (with their absolute widths): see the text.

width of d (mm)

3.5 7 10.6 14.1 17.7 21

3.5 1:2 1:3 1:4 1:5 1:6
7 2:1 1:1.5 1:2 1:2.5 1:3
Width of 10.6 3:1 1.5:1 1:2
c (mm) 14.1 4:1 2:1 1:1.5
17.7 5:1 2.5:1
21 6:1 3:1 2:1 1.5:1

Let us now consider the perceptual outcomes for the cases involving the 1:1 ratio.
When the speed of c's decrement is equal to that of d's increment, the observers
tended to see one single object even if the difference of size of the two parts is ra-
ther great: they said that the object seemed to have undergone a transformation be-
hind the screen. Here the last frame exibhits its strength: since it is easy to see in the
final “frozen” frame (where a small part of the left surface is still visible) a unique ob-
ject behind the screen (for instance, like a bottle which neck is on one side, and bot-
tom on the other side), this last perceptual content casts its form to the preceding
event.
In the cases by which the ratio between the speeds departs from 1, observers re-
port the presence of two distinct moving objects linked by somewhat causal connec-
tion. For instance, when at left we have a wide surface that diminishes slowly, where
at right we have a narrow surface that increases rapidly, one begins to see the nar-
row object pulling or dragging the wider that is resucked on the left. Otherwise,
when at left we have a narrow surface that diminishes rapidly, where at right we have
a wide surface that increases slowly, one sees a narrow object that pushes out of the
screen a bigger one. In general, the impression of pulling or dragging is more fre-
quently reported than that of pushing.
Considering the differences in width between the two surfaces, we can only say
that the greater the difference is, the easier is the rising of causal impressions. When
there are the conditions for these causal connections, it is the narrower part that as-
sumes the role of "cause". This is probably due to the fact that the narrower part
moves faster: even in MICHOTTE’s (1963) launching effect the "active" role is play-
 Vicario & Kiritani, Slow-motion tunnel effect 115

ed by the object that moves faster. It is apparent that differences in width and in
speed of the two surfaces mutually influence themselves, but this point deserves
further investigation.
In comparing the previously reported effects of deviation from coaxiality (deviati-
on that brings for the most part to the perception of two objects), with the effects of
differences in width (that bring for the most part the perception of a single object),
one should conclude that coaxiality is a factor of integration more sensitive than the
sameness in width.

[5] Influence of the relation of increment and decrement at the two ends

Up to now we considered stimulus situations where to a given type of evolution

on one side corrisponded an evolution of opposite sign on the other side: typically,
to a decrement on the left corrisponded an increment to the right. Now we will exa-
mine the case of an evolution of the same sign on either side of the screen.
There are two forms: (5a) decrement on both sides, and (5b) increment on both si-
des. Like for the preceding points, we will test the influence of the variable by means
of variations in the speed of evolution of both the surfaces.
The speeds of increment and decrement at the two ends are: 6, 12 and 35 mm/sec.
From combination of these absolute speeds, we obtain seven ratios: 1:1; 1:2; 1:3, 1:6;
2:1; 3:1; 6:1. The total number of observed situations is 18 (3 speeds for c x 3 speeds
for d x 2 types of relation). The width of both c and d is 7 mm, and the standing rec-
tangle y is ever 17 mm in width.
The results of the cases involving the 1:1 ratio can be summarized as follows.
When both c and d evolve at the max speed of 35 mm/sec, either in decrement or in
decrement, two independent moving objects are perceived. No stereokinetic effects
(see METZGER, 1975, chapter XV) take place. In reducing the speed, leaving the 1:1
ratio unchanged, perceptual impressions become ambiguous. For instance, at first
glance two distinct objects are seen, but in the course of presentation they integrate
themselves in one object. For the speeds of 12 and 6 mm/sec, and for the sole form
of decrement, a strong stereokinetic effect takes place: the object lessening behind
the screen keeps its phenomenal size, and therefore it is seen moving away in the
third dimension; otherwise, a V-shaped rigid object takes place, rotating on its Y-axis
behind the screen, and having its wings behind its vertex. Stereokinesis is of course
the sign of the realized integration of the two surfaces in one object (and of the two
movements in one event).
When the speeds of evolution at the two ends are different, especially when they
are chosen at high ratios, two distinct moving objects are easily perceived. The type
of evolution (decrement on both sides, increment on both sides) does not matter. In
other words, difference in speed of evolution is crucial to the forming of one or of
two objects.
There is another interesting outcome, for the situations by which c and d evolve
with different speeds. Phenomenal asynchronies take place, regarding the beginning
116 Gestalt Theory, Vol. 21 (1999), No. 2

and the end of evolution of either part. (Remember that both surfaces begin and end
their evolution at the same times, coming out from the screen in the variant 5a, or di-
sappearing into it for the variant 5b, at the same moment.) For instance, if C moves
to the left more slowly than D moves to the right, C seems to come out from the
screen after D's emergence. To the contrary, if C goes under the screen at a speed
lesser than D, C seems to disappear after D disappears. We seemingly face a case of
temporal displacement (VICARIO, 1963), probably due to a sort of FRÖLICH (1929,
p. 22.) effect.

6. Further observations

Slow-motion tunnel effect is literally a mine of perceptual phenomena, in part refe-

rable to well known facts or concepts (especially in the frame of MICHOTTE’s theo-
ries), in part to be yet explored. We will point out at least two aspects of the effect
that seem worth of attention.
As for the first aspect, we repeatedly obtained from experimental observers re-
ports of subjective uncertainty, in the sense that the discrimination [one moving ob-
ject]/[two moving objects] underwent several undesired fluctuations. This is not
surprising, since so poor kinetic structures are often open to “interpretations” or to
connections with richer already experienced perceptions in everyday life (as stu-
dents of causal effects well know). However, it seems to us that this sort of uncer-
tainties is not primarily due to the objective difficulty of the task (like in an usual
threshold determination, when standard and comparison stimuli are too near in va-
lue), but to the fact that the object of dis crimination is an event, moreover lasting
several seconds. This means that at the beginning of the event one undergoes the
impression, for instance, of unicity (or duplicity), since the emerging parts of the sli-
ding rectangle are in a certain proportion, but after a while the proportion is chan-
ged, and the observer is sure to be in front of a case of duplicity (or unicity); just a
little later the moving parts of the sliding rectangle find themselves in another arran-
gement, and the observer returns to the impression of unicity (or duplicity). At the
end of the presentation the observer does not know whether he has to mention the
impression gained at the beginning or in the middle of presentation, so reporting in
an erratic or biased way. In the classical (fast) tunnel effect things go otherwise: the
act of perception regards only what happens in the 100-500 msec separating the first
from the third phase, allowing threshold uncertainties, but no changes of mind.
What emerges from the facts is that we are methodologically unprepared for ma-
naging the psychophysical evaluation of complex, non-stationary events, the per-
ceptual outcome of which is changing over time (on this problem, see VICARIO,
1993b). As to the slow-motion tunnel effect, one could imagine that the aspect of the
last phase will prevail against the aspects of the preceding phases (recency effect),
but this is far to be proved: some experiments on length estimation of evolving lines
(VICARIO, VIDOTTO and TOMAT, 1994; VIDOTTO, VICARIO and TOMAT, 1996)
surprinsingly show the absence of both primacy and recency effects.
 Vicario & Kiritani, Slow-motion tunnel effect 117

The second observation to be reported refers (a) to the perception of causation

and (b) to perception of succession.
(a) The coercive impression that the left rectangle is pushing out the right rec-
tangle, or that the right rectangle is dragging out the left rectangle is undoubtedly a
perception of causation, since it is quite clear which movement or object is”active”
and which is on the contrary “passive”. However, it is rather easy to point out that
this perception of causation is not grounded on the distinction before/after, since
the events on the left and on the right of the rectangle are strictly simultaneous.
(Nothing new: in squeezing a toothpaste tube, we are perfectly aware that the mo-
vement of the thumb is strictly simultaneous with the movement of the coming out
paste, but we clearly distinguish the movement that is “cause” from the movement
that appears as an “effect”. On this point, see also VICARIO, 1998b) This means that
MICHOTTE’s theory of perceptual causality should be reconsidered, since we have
perception of causality in absence of temporal succession of physical movements.
(b) The observer of the mentioned situations is perfectly aware that the move-
ments he sees are simu ltaneous. Nevertheless he feels that the movement he percei-
ves as “active” is occurring before the movement he perceives as “passive”: the
pushing action of the right rectangle seems to precede the emerging of the right rec-
tangle; the pulling action of the right rectangle seems to precede the swallowing up
of the left rectangle). In this way not only the cause/effect relation, but even the
concurrent before/after relation seem weakly bounded to the objective state of af-
fairs.

7. Concluding remarks

The perceptual phenomena here described seem to take place in the frame of tun-
nel effect. There are of course at least two main differences between the original pa-
radigm (BURKE, 1952) and the present setting: (1) fast versus slow motion of the ob-
ject; (2) absence versus presence of the object in the "middle" phase. As to the se-
cond point, let us remember that during its sliding behind the screen, the slow mo-
ving rectangle shows both its head and its tail, and therefore the "middle" phase is
only spatial, and not a temporal one. Since in fast motion tunnel effect the phases
succeed each other, BURKE’s setting is very suitable for illustrating the horizontal
aggregation or segregation of events; on the other hand, since in slow-motion tun-
nel effect the phases are simultaneously present, the setting comes down to illustra-
te vertical aggregation or segregation of events.
As a matter of fact, slow-motion tunnel effect exhibits a lot of interesting pheno-
mena in addition to the ones mentioned in the preceding list. Some of them are bare-
ly perceptual: for instance, during its motion out of the screen, the rectangle grows
thinner as it becomes longer, in so verifying the interdependence of visible heigth
and width (LIPPS’ illusion, 1897, fig. 39); vernier acuity for the mis alignment of the
head in respect of the tail of the rectangle is severely impaired by the presence of the
interposed screen. On the contrary, some other phenomena are at the same time per-
118 Gestalt Theory, Vol. 21 (1999), No. 2

ceptual and expressive: for instance, when there is vertical segregation, that is when
the rectangle that goes to disappear on the left is not the same rectangle that comes
out on the right, the first is perceived pushing the second (when the first is long and
the second is still short), or the second is perceived pulling the first (when the se-
cond is long and the first is already short). This last effects are clearly of the same
species as the well known effects revealed by MICHOTTE (1963) in his inquiries on
the perception of causation (launching, entraining, trigger, tool, etc.).
Apart from the many side phenomena, here reported in some detail, it seems to us
that slow-motion tunnel effect is suitable for showing that there are some problems
in the assumption of a rather rigid correspondence between physical happenings
and perceptual events (constancy hypothesis, see VICARIO 1991). Phases of per-
ceptual events belong each other in a way that is not the same of the phases of rela-
ted distal or proximal stimuli, or of hypothesized neural processes. In our example,
the building up of a unique rectangle, sliding behind a screen, is due to several fac-
tors not yet identified that certainly do not match to the ones that we can obtain
from the description of physical or neural facts. We face the same problems
WERTHEIMER (1923) brought to solution for the building up of perceptual objects
(that is, for stationary events; on this topic, see VICARIO 1989, 1998a), when it was
to overcome the hypothesis of a rigid correspondence of the geography of the retina
with what one actually sees. Our inquiry on the slow-motion tunnel effect should be
regarded as a step in this direction. We think that the research on the formation of
perceptual events in our temporal field had to begin at least with the discovering of
the reasons of aggregation and segregation of momentary phases, leaving to further
experimentation the testing of the so-called Gestalt principles of organization (proxi-
mity, similarity, closure, passing-by curve and so on).
 Vicario & Kiritani, Slow-motion tunnel effect 119

Summary

The well-known tunnel effect (WERTHEIMER, 1912; BURKE, 1962) is described. Since it
deals with three successive movements (the first and the third modal, the second one amodal)
that are integrated in one kinetic structure, it becomes suitable to illustrate the problem of hori-
zontal organization of perceptual events (integration or segregation of successive events). A new
kind of tunnel effect is described (a long rectangle sliding behind a standing screen, where the
speed of translation of the emerging parts of the rectangle is far slower: 1 cm/sec instead of 40
cm/sec; see figure 5). This slow-motion tunnel effect deals with movements that are simultaneous
(on either side of the standing screen), and then it becomes suitable to illustrate the vertical or-
ganization of events (integration or segregation of simultaneous events). A phenomenological
investigation follows, in order to ascertain the conditions that favour either the perception of
the emerging surfaces as parts of a unique object, or the perception of two distinct simultaneously
evolving objects, the one disappearing under the screen and the other emerging from it. Some
conditions (amount of surfaces involved, speed of their change, coaxiality of the moving objects,
and so on) have been systematically treated; the effects of some other conditions (directio n of
the movements, asyncronies of the movements, arrangement of the surfaces in the starting and
in the final frame of the animation, and so on) have been indicated. Some remarks on the per-
ception of succession and of causation, as well on the suitableness of translating the Ge stalt prin-
ciples of organization (WERTHEIMER, 1923) from the perception of objects to the perception
of events, are set forth.

Zusammenfassung

Beschrieben wird zunächst der bekannte Tunneleffekt (WERTHEIMER, 1912; BURKE,

1962). Da dieser mit drei aufeinanderfolgenden Bewegungen zu tun hat (die erste und dritte mo-
dal, die zweite amodal), die zu einer einzigen kinetischen Struktur vereinigt werden, erscheint er
gut geeignet, das Problem der horizontalen Organisation visueller Ereignisse zu analysieren (näm-
lich die Vereinigung bzw. Trennung von aufeinanderfolgenden Ereignissen). Beschrieben wird dann
eine neue Art von Tunneleffekt: ein langes Rechteck bewegt sich dabei gleitend hinter einem fes-
ten „Schirm“ mit einer vergleichsweise geringen Geschwindigkeit von 1cm/sec (statt üblicherweise
40 cm/sec - vgl. Abb. 5). Dieser Zeitlupen-Tunneleffekt hat es mit mehreren gleichzeitig ablau-
fenden Bewegungen zu tun (nämlich auf beiden Seiten des Schirmes) und eignet sich zur Demonst -
ration der vertikalen Organisation von Ereignissen ((nämlich die Vereinigung bzw. Trennung von
gleichzeitigen Ereignissen). Eine Analyse auf phänomenologischer Ebene soll die Bedingungen
klären, unter denen die auftauchenden Rechteck-Flächen als Teile eines einzigen Objekts oder als
zwei Objekte - eines hinter dem Schirm verschwindend, das andere auftauchend - wahrgenommen
werden. Einige Faktoren (Größe der Fläche(n), Geschwindigkeit, vertikale Verschiebung etc.) wur-
den systematisch untersucht, für die Effekte durch Faktoren (u.a. Bewegungsrichtung, Synchroni-
zität der Bewegungen, Anordnung der Flächen zu Beginn und am Ende) gab es klare Hinweise. Es
folgt abschließend eine Diskussion über die Wahrnehmung von Abfolge und Verursachung sowie
über die Angemessenheit, die Gestalt-Prinzipien der Organisat ion (WERTHEIMER, 1923) von
der Objekt-Wahrnehmung auf die Ereignis-Wahrnehmung zu übertragen.

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Anschri ft der Verfasser:

Giovanni Bruno Vicario
Dipartimento di Psicologia generale
Università di Padova,
via Venezia 8
I-35131 Padova
e-mail: [email protected]

Yoshie Kiritani
Dept. of Design & Architecture
Faculty of engineering
Chiba University,
1-33 Yayoicho, Inageku,
Japan - Chiba 263-8522
e-mail: [email protected]