Autokinetic effect
The autokinetic effect (also called autokinetic perception) is a psychological phenomenon in which a stationary point of light viewed in a dark environment without any visual reference points appears to move. This perceptual illusion illustrates how the brain attempts to interpret ambiguous visual information.
This phenomenon was first described in the early 20th century and has been used to study perception and the stability of attention. The autokinetic effect shows how the brain seeks to create meaning under conditions of uncertainty by filling in missing information.
Experiments on the autokinetic effect often use a small point of light against a dark background. Observers report that the light appears to move even though it actually remains stationary. This occurs because, without other visual cues such as reference points or contours, the brain cannot adequately interpret the light's position in space.