phi phenomenon

noun

: apparent motion resulting from an orderly sequence of stimuli (such as lights flashed in rapid succession a short distance apart on a sign) without any actual motion being presented to the eye

Examples of phi phenomenon in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The brain then fills in the gaps between still images viewed in rapid succession and perceives this as movement, an illusion that early-20th-century psychologists named the phi phenomenon. Charlotte Hu, Scientific American, 31 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

translation of German φ-Phänomen

Note: The term was introduced by the psychologist Max Wertheimer (1880-1943, born in Prague, Austria-Hungary, in the U.S. from 1933) in "Experimentelle Studien über das Sehen von Bewegung," Zeitschrift für Psychologie und Physiologie der Sinnesorgane, 1. Abteilung, Zeitschrift für Psychologie, Band 61, Heft 1 (April, 1912), pp. 161-265.

First Known Use

circa 1928, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of phi phenomenon was circa 1928

Dictionary Entries Near phi phenomenon

Cite this Entry

“Phi phenomenon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/phi%20phenomenon. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

Medical Definition

phi phenomenon

noun
: apparent motion resulting from an orderly sequence of stimuli (as lights flashed in rapid succession a short distance apart on a sign) without any actual motion being presented to the eye compare apparent motion

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