autokinetic effect

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apparent motion of a single point of light or a small object when presented on a dark field and observed continuously.

QUIZZES

In effect, this quiz will prove whether or not you have the skills to know the difference between “affect” and “effect.”

Question 1 of 7

The rainy weather could not ________ my elated spirits on my graduation day.

Also called autokinetic illusion.

First recorded in 1930–35

In Israel, however, a new law took effect January 1st that banned the use of underweight models.
How Skinny Is Too Skinny? Israel Bans ‘Underweight’ Models|Carrie Arnold|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
But they say its effect on the regular daily operation of organized crime has been negligible.
Mexico’s Priests Are Marked for Murder|Jason McGahan|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
All of these increased barriers then have a snowball effect.
Random Hook-Ups or Dry Spells: Why Millennials Flunk College Dating|Ellie Schaack|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST
So now the company is asking the FCC to, in effect, reverse itself.
How ‘Ethical’ Hotel Chain Marriott Gouges Guests in the Name of Wi-Fi Security|Kyle Chayka|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST

A revised version of the law goes into effect on January 1st, 2015.
Propaganda, Protest, and Poisonous Vipers: The Cinema War in Korea|Rich Goldstein|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In this case, I suspect, there was co-operant a strongly marked childish characteristic, the love of producing an effect.
Children's Ways|James Sully
He shrank, as from some one who inflicted pain as a child, unwittingly, to see what the effect would be.
The Wave|Algernon Blackwood
And so this is why the clever performer cannot reproduce the effect of a speech of Demosthenes or Daniel Webster.
Expressive Voice Culture|Jessie Eldridge Southwick
The well-known "cock and bull" stories of small children are inspired by this love of strong effect.
Children's Ways|James Sully
She stabbed him, noting the effect upon him with a detached interest that seemed indifferent to his pain.
The Wave|Algernon Blackwood