Binocular Masking Induced by a Moving Object

Abstract

Movement in a part of either of two binocular fields can, under some conditions, produce temporary obliteration of the corresponding part of the other field. This paper is a mainly qualitative study of this rather surprising phenomenon. The effect is found to increase from the fovea to the periphery, to be greatest at a velocity of about 20° visual angle per sec. and to vary with the orientation of the fixation point in the visual field. Some further lines of research designed to elucidate the relation of the effect described here to certain other visual phenomena are suggested.