Continuous Visual Information May Be Important After All: A Failure To Replicate

The purpose of the two experiments reported here was to replicate previous research (Thomson, 1983) which suggests that visual information useful in the control of movement persists for up to 8 s after visual occlusion. Contrary to other findings (Thomson, 1980, 1983), little evidence was found for an 8-s visual representation of the environmental layout, indicating there is no substitute for continuous visual information in the control of movement. Methodological and statistical problems with Thomson's work are discussed.