Subjective Contours Can Produce Stereokinetic Effects

Abstract
When a pattern of interrupted concentric circles drawn so as to produce an anomalous contour ellipse is slowly rotated in the frontoparallel plane, the subjective figure appears first to deform and then to tilt as a ring in 3-D space over motionless circles. Also, Benussi's floating cone can be obtained by placing an eccentric gray dot upon an anomalous solid ellipse and setting this figure into rotation. These patterns provide strong evidence that subjective contours can produce stereokinetic effects as effectively as real contours can. Implications for current explanations of stereokinetic effects are presented and discussed.