To perceive the relative positions of objects in the visual field, the
visual system must assign locations to each stimulus. This assignment is determined
by the object's retinal position, the direction of gaze, eye movements, and
the motion of the object itself. Here we show that perceived location is also
influenced by motion signals that originate in distant regions of the visual
field. When a pair of stationary lines are flashed, straddling but not overlapping
a rotating radial grating, the lines appear displaced in a direction consistent
with that of the grating's motion, even when the lines are a substantial distance
from the grating. The results indicate that motion's influence on position
is not restricted to the moving object itself, and that even the positions
of stationary objects are coded by mechanisms that receive input from motion-sensitive
neurons.
