Abstract
The detection of luminance increments in a homogeneously lighted field was studied as a function of the area and perimeter of the luminance increment. Sixteen targets representing all possible combinations of four values of area and four values of perimeter were foveally presented. Exposure durations were short (25 to 40 msec). Results of both an analysis of variance and linear discriminant analysis indicated that detection probability increases as area increases, but neither variations in perimeter nor perimeter-area combinations produced effects that were significant oyer the experiment as a whole. The linear discriminant analysis revealed individual differences in the effects of perimeter and area on detection probability. Results were contradictory to Kristofferson’s (1957) “element contribution theory” and gave only slight support to Hecht’s (Lamar, Hecht, Shlaer, & Hendley, 1947) “border-quantum theory.”
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This investigation was supported by Public Health Service Research Grant MH-1206 and a Public Health Service Research Career Program Award, K6-MH-22,014.
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Bowen, M.E., Eriksen, C.W. The effects of area and perimeter on detection rates. Perception & Psychophysics 5, 37–40 (1969). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03210477
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03210477