Unified fragmentation

“Humans see whole objects from input fragmented in space and time, yet spatiotemporal object perception is poorly understood. The authors propose the theory of spatiotemporal relatability (STR), which describes the visual information and processes that allow visible fragments revealed at different times and places, due to motion and occlusion, to be assembled into unitary perceived objects … STR postulates a mental representation, the dynamic visual icon, that briefly maintains shapes and updates positions of occluded fragments to connect them with visible regions. The theory offers a unified account of interpolation processes for static, dynamic, occluded, and illusory objects.” In Palmer, E. M. et al. ‘A Theory of Dynamic Occluded and Illusory Object Perception.’ Journal of Experimental Psychology: General. 2006 Nov Vol 135(4) 513-541.