Stimulus Determinants of Dynamic Visual Acuity. III. Effects of Proximal Borders and Limited Surround

摘要

Tests of dynamic visual acuity (DVA) appear to offer unique potential for assessing practical visual capabilities. These tests have not been standardized with respect to variations in the target surround, nor are the effects of such variations understood. Goodson and Morrison have demonstrated the ease with which the DVA function may be accelerated (increased degradation as a function of target velocity) by limiting the size of the target surround. According to their acquisition hypothesis, the DVA function should be decelerated by surrounding the target with a border. The problem is to determine whether DVA performance may be degraded or enhanced by such manipulations of stimuli surrounding the acuity target. The present experiments demonstrated that relatively simple modifications of the stimulus configuration in the target surround can affect significantly an individual's DVA performance. However, not all subjects responded to modifications of the target surround in the same manner. Implications regarding individual differences versus practice and order effects are discussed. (Author)