At one time, aircraft had constant rather than blinking lights on the wingtips. When pilots in formation tried to follow the constant lights of the aircraft in front of them, they veered off course. This is perhaps best explained by
A) illusory correlation.
B) normative influence.
C) psychological reactance.
D) the autokinetic effect.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The phenomenon described is known as the autokinetic effect. This occurs when a stationary object appears to move in the absence of external visual reference, such as a starry night sky. The constant lights on the aircraft may have appeared to move slightly to the pilots following behind, causing them to veer off course.

At One Time, Aircraft Had Constant Rather Than Blinking Lights