Abstract
ADAMS and Brown1 showed that relatively small doses of alcohol produced “large, significant, dose-related increases in the time required to recover foveal contrast sensitivity following bright light exposure”. As this effect of alcohol may be directly related to industrial and to car driving safety2, we set out to ascertain its precise origin. Adams and Brown concluded tentatively that the alcohol exerted its effect at the retinal level. The experiments presented here, however, implicate non-retinal mechanisms, as alcohol delays recovery from glare only when observers have difficulty localising or fixating the test stimulus.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Adams, A. J. & Brown, B. Nature 257, 481–483 (1975).
Moskowitz, H. & Murray, J. T. J. Stud. Alcohol 37, 40–45 (1976).
Tong, J. E., Knott, V. J., McGraw, D. J. & Leigh, G. Q. J. Stud. Alcohol 35, 1003–1022 (1974).
von Wright, J. M. & Mikkonen, V. Scand. J. Psychol. 11, 167–175 (1970).
Green, D. M. & Swets, J. A. Signal Detection Theory and Psychophysics (Wiley, New York, 1966).
Young, L. R. & Sheena, D. Behav. Res. Meth. Instr. 7, 397–429 (1975).
Wilkinson, I. M. S., Kime, R. & Purnell, M. Brain 97, 785–792 (1974).
Cohn, T. E. & Lasley, D. J. J. opt. Soc. Am. 64, 1715–1719 (1974).
Adams, A. J., Brown, B., Flom, M. C., Jones, R. T. & Jampolsky, A. Am. J. Optom. Physiol. Optics 52, 729–735 (1975).
Greenhouse, D. S., Cohn, T. E. & Stark, L. presented at Mtg Ass. Res. Vis. Ophth. Sarasota, Florida (April 1977).
Moskowitz, H. & Sharma, S. Human Factors 16, 174–180 (1975).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
SEKULER, R., MACARTHUR, R. Alcohol retards visual recovery from glare by hampering target acquisition. Nature 270, 428–429 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1038/270428a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/270428a0
- Springer Nature Limited