Master’s Research
成瀬陽太
Naruse Santa
探索的な観察?運動知覚から記憶を想起する視覚体験についての考察: 光の運動を探索的に観察する装置《Sight / Insight》を通じて
A Study on the Visual Experiences That Elicit Memory Retrieval Through Exploratory Observation and Motion Perception: Through "Sight / Insight", a Device for Exploratory Observation of Light in Motion
筆者は、夜、電車の車窓に映る自動車などの移動する光や、街灯の光、建物の光などの路上の光を見ていると、その光の集合から、Biological Motion知覚のようにヒトや生物の形?動きを見出し、そして、見出したものに関連する具体的な情景を想起する経験をしたことある。つまり、路上の光の集合を観察するときに、光の動きを〈知覚〉してから、文脈を超えた連想を経て、もともと観察していた光の運動とは全く異なるヒトや生物の形?動きを〈認知〉?〈想起〉している。 本研究は、実体験のような探索的な観察から、光の運動の〈知覚〉がBiological Motionのような〈認知〉へと発展し、そこから記憶の〈想起〉へ接続される視覚体験に注目し、探索的な観察と記憶想起の関係を明らかにすることを目的とする。本研究では、筆者が夜の車窓から路上の光を眺める実体験をモチーフとし、Biological Motionの視覚刺激で用いられる映像の点光源ではなく、実際のLEDの点光源の運動と、それに見かけの運動が組み合わさった光の集合を提示する修士作品《Sight / Insight》を制作し、〈知覚〉から〈認知〉?〈想起〉へと接続される視覚体験を設計することでアプローチした。作品の設計にあたっては、Henri Bergsonの〈注意〉の概念を平井靖史が発展させた〈探索的認知〉を参照した。そして、光の運動の〈知覚〉からヒトや動物の構造?運動〈認知〉を経て、記憶を〈想起〉するまでの過程を〈視覚環境とのインタラクション〉として捉えた。 修士作品は2回の学外展示を行い、その際に質問紙調査を実施しバリデーションを行った。バリデーションでは、作品の視覚体験が意図した〈視覚環境とのインタラクション〉が発動されるかを検証した。結果としては、想定していたような、光の運動〈知覚〉からBiological Motionの〈認知〉を経て記憶の〈想起〉へと接続される〈視覚環境とのインタラクション〉の発動の断定には至らず、その可能性を示唆するにとどまった。その原因として、現状の視覚体験やバリデーション手法における問題点を考察し、今後の視覚体験の設計および検証方法の改善へ向けた検討を行った。
This study investigates how, within an environment that encourages exploratory observation similar to real-world visual contexts, the perception of moving lights can evolve into a form of cognition reminiscent of Biological Motion, ultimately leading to the recollection of associated memories. The research is motivated by the author’s personal experiences of gazing out from a moving train at night: the aggregation of lights— such as those from vehicles, streetlamps, and buildings—occasionally forms what appears to be the shape or movement of a human or other living creature, triggering vivid, context-transcending memories. In other words, upon perceiving the motion of these scattered lights ’perception’, one spontaneously transitions to a ’recognition’ of forms completely unrelated to the original stimuli, followed by the ’retrieval’ of concrete scenes. To examine this phenomenon, the present research focuses on visual experiences that begin with an ex-ploratory observation of moving lights and develop into something akin to Biological Motion cognition, thereby connecting to the retrieval of memory. Specifically, the author created the master’s project Sight / Insight, inspired by nightly observations of urban lights seen through a train window. Instead of the conventional point-light stimuli used in Biological Motion studies, this work employs actual LED point-lights combined with apparent motion to produce a more ecologically valid simulation of real-world stimuli. In designing these visual experiences, the concept of ’attention’ proposed by Henri Bergson—expanded by Yasushi Hirai into ’exploratory cognition’—served as a theoretical underpinning. This framework allowed the author to conceptualize the progression from perceiving moving lights ’perception’ to recognizing the structure or motion of humans or animals ’recognition’, and eventually recalling personal memories ’retrieval’, as a form of ’interaction with the visual environment.’ The Sight / Insight?installation was exhibited publicly on two occasions outside the academic setting, during which questionnaire-based validation was conducted to ascertain whether the intended ’interaction with the visual environment’ would indeed occur. The results indicated that this interaction was partially activated; however, the originally hypothesized sequence—moving-light ’perception’ leading to Biological Motion-like ’cognition’ and then onward to memory ’retrieval’ did not emerge as clearly as expected. An analysis of the outcome suggests that certain constraints in the current visual experience design, as well as limitations in the validation methodology, may have influenced these findings. Consequently, this study discusses potential refinements to the design of the visual experience and the methods used to evaluate it. In conclusion, while the installation did provoke some measure of ’interaction with the visual environment,’ further improvements in both the experiential design and validation approaches are needed to fully support the transition from perceiving moving lights to recognizing animal or human forms and, ultimately, recalling memories. Such enhancements may contribute to a deeper understanding of how exploratory observation and memory retrieval can be interlinked through visual stimuli that evoke Biological Motion-like cognition.
