DURATIONS OF VISUAL PERSISTENCE REQUIRED FOR PERCEPTION OF MOTION ANDPATTERN-DISCRIMINATION

Using stimuli consisting of LEDs placed along a circumference, we inve stigated visual persistence for different stimulus configurations and for different tasks under the condition that gave rise to apparent mot ion. Some characteristics of persistence reported previously were conf irmed in the present study, i.e. its dependence on stimulus background luminance and on stimulus spatial separation, irrespective of whether the task involved motion detection or not, and whether the stimuli co mprised motion or not. This result suggests that those characteristics of persistence are determined by the process prior to pattern detecti on and then they are passed on to the later process which is responsib le for motion detection.