Abstract

It is hypothesized that a steady light in one eye will lower or inhibit the critical rate (CFF) of contralateral intermittent flashes of light in a manner consonant with the effect of an adapting field on the discrimination of single flashes. Luminances spanning a 6-log-unit range were variously combined in two 1.5° fields. Results indicate that there is an inhibitory effect which depends in part on relative luminances: except with very dim stimuli, an adapting light dimmer than a given flicker light reduces CFF somewhat; and CFF decreases progressively as adapting luminance increases. Viewed with bright adapting light, a moderately bright flicker field shows a 10–20% reduction in CFF and a dim flicker light (whose CFF is 8 cps or less) shows a 100% reduction in CFF. However, the data, when plotted in a ΔI/I format, show only partial similarity to curves of steady-field and single-flash luminance discrimination. Moreover, the upper limb in each of the family of binocular CFF-logI curves, in which adapting luminance is the parameter, parallels the monocular curve and may be fitted to a similar exponential equation.

© 1962 Optical Society of America

Monocular Flicker Discrimination as a Function of the Luminance and Area of Contralateral Steady Light. II. Area*†

Bernice Sacks Lipkin
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 52(11) 1296-1300 (1962)

Phase Relations in Flicker Fusion

S. M. Luria and H. G. Sperling
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 52(9) 1051-1057 (1962)

Effect of Contrast on CFF and Apparent Brightness*

Harris Ripps, Ira T. Kaplan, and Irwin M. Siegel
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 51(8) 870-873 (1961)

A Study in Binocular Flicker

Fred H. Perrin
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 44(1) 60-69 (1954)

Photic Driving of the Critical Flicker Frequency*

Mathew Alpern and Sadao Sugiyama
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 51(12) 1379-1385 (1961)