tau effect

noun

A spatial perceptual illusion that arises when observers judge the distance between consecutive stimuli in a sequence. When the distance between stimuli is constant but the time between stimuli is not, subjects tend to misperceive the shorter temporal interval as being accompanied by a shorter spatial interval.

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Meanings

nountau effect (plural tau effects)

plural tau effects

  1. A spatial perceptual illusion that arises when observers judge the distance between consecutive stimuli in a sequence. When the distance between stimuli is constant but the time between stimuli is not, subjects tend to misperceive the shorter temporal interval as being accompanied by a shorter spatial interval.
Cite this entry
APA

tau effect. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tau%20effect

MLA

“tau effect.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tau%20effect. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “tau effect,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tau%20effect.

Source: tau effect on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.