Skip to main content
Log in

The relative contributions of rods and cones in sensory memory under photopic and scotopic conditions

  • Articles
  • Published:
Current Psychological Research & Reviews Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Brief presentations of letter arrays were probed by bar markers within or outside the fovea after various time delays. Figural information presented to the foveal region was retained better under a photopic condition than information in the parafoveal region, but under a scotopic condition parafoveal information demonstrated superior retention. However, decay rates over time of all functions were similar, demonstrating that figural information in the rods and cones decays at similar rates.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Banks, W. P., & Barber, G. (1977). Color information in iconic memory.Psychological Review, 84, 536–546.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Clark, S. E. (1969). Retrieval of color information from pre-perceptual memory.Journal of Experimental Psychology, 82, 263–266.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Coltheart, M., Lea, C. D., & Thompson, K. (1974). In defence of iconic memory.Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 26, 633–641.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dick, A. O. (1969). Relations between the sensory register and the short term storage in tachistoscopic recognition.Journal of Experimental Psychology, 82, 279–284.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mandelbaum, J., & Sloan, L. L. (1947). Peripheral visual acuity with special reference to scotopic illumination.American Journal of Ophthalmology, 30, 581–585.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Meyer, G.E., & Maguire, W. M. (1977). Spatial frequency and the mediation of short term visual memory.Science, 198, 524–525.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sakitt, B., & Long, G. M. (1979). Spare the rod and spoil the icon.Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 5, 19–30.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sloan, L. L. (1968). The photopic acuity-luminance function with special reference to parafoveal vision.Vision Research, 8, 901–911.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Von Wright, J. M. (1968). Selection in visual immediate memory.Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 20, 62–68.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Von Wright, J. M. (1970). On selection in visual immediate memory.Acta Psychologica, 33, 280–292.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Beech, J.R., McClenahan, G. The relative contributions of rods and cones in sensory memory under photopic and scotopic conditions. Current Psychology 5, 30–33 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02686594

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02686594

Keywords

Navigation