Since the naval application of so-called “dazzle” coloration in WWI, the ability of high contrast geometric patterns (usually stripes) to reduce capture rate in predator-prey scenarios, and how they might confer this benefit, has been debated. Recently, dazzle has been defined as any coloration that can cause misperception of velocity or range and so reduces capture success. This thesis reviews the evidence for dazzle’s ability to cause perceptual distortions and what mechanisms might underly this. The most researched of these perceptual distortions is perceived speed, but experimental testing has thus far yielded dramatic variability in results. I tested the relative perceived speed of several dazzle patterns, repeating and building upon previous research using two-interval binary choice tasks, and a time-to-contact test. Over three experiments I found that items with transverse stripes (orthogonal to the direction of motion) are perceived as faster than those with longitudinal stripes (parallel to the direction of motion), which is consistent with the most recent research. It is proposed that this difference is due to the lack of points at which motion can be accurately judged on longitudinally striped objects causing perception to be shifted towards an expectation for slower speeds. The extent to which this confers an ecologically relevant survival advantage is uncertain, given the difficulty of reproducing results and the unclear link between speed perception and prey capture. Overall, I conclude that should dazzle patterns provide a survival benefit, it is unlikely to be conveyed principally by distortion of perceived speed.
Misperceived motion: can dazzle really impact speed perception?
Sparke, R. (Author). 20 Jan 2026
Student thesis: Master's Thesis › Master of Science by Research (MScR)