THEORY AND MEASUREMENT OF VISUAL MECHANISMS

Abstract

The several parameters of the flicker response contour (F – log I) are considered as a function of wave-length composition (white, blue, and red) and light-time fraction, for an extra-foveal region (monocular, temporal retina). These data are compared with those secured for the same image area centrally fixated at the fovea. The systematic changes in the parameters are shown to be in rational relation to other relevant excitability data. Since for two retinal regions the primary contours are quite different, the systematic nature of the behavior of the parameters in the two cases is a real test of the power of the analysis proposed. Theoretical interpretation is required to deal with the properties of sets of performance contours under systematically varied conditions, and cannot rely simply on the comparison of (for example) two contours under the same arbitrary conditions at two retinal locations. In particular it is emphasized that a qualitative separation must be made of the two factors of (a) number of units and (b) the frequencies of their actions, before the wave-length problem can be dealt with effectively.