Autokinetic Effect
A phenomenon of visual perception in which a stationary, small point of light in an otherwise dark or featureless environment appears to move. It is presumed to occur because motion perception is always relative to some reference point, and in darkness or in a featureless environment there is no reference point, so the position of the single point is undefined.
Referenced in:
- Noise: A Flaw in Human Judgment by Kahneman, Sibony, and Sunstein