Data recently presented by Wilson (1965) seem to demonstrate the separate effects of adaptation and of after-effect repulsion during and following continued observation of a curved line. Inasmuch as the experiment was performed without apparent reference to the psychophysical theory of figural after-effects (Taylor, 1962), it is interesting to note that the results on adaptation agree qualitatively with one of the major presuppositions of the theory, and the results on repulsion agree quantitatively with its predictions.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
CarlsonV. R. (1962). Adaptation in the perception of visual velocity. J. exp. Psychol.64, 192–7.
2.
GibsonJ. J. (1933). Adaptation, after-effect, and contrast in the perception of curved lines. J. exp. Psychol.16, 1–31.
3.
RapoportJ. (1964). Adaptation in the perception of rotary motion. J. exp. Psychol.67, 263–7.
4.
TaylorM. M. (1962). Figural after-effects: a psychophysical theory of the displacement effect. Canad. J. Psychol.16, 247–77.
5.
TaylorM. M. (1963a). Tracking the decay of the after-effect of seen rotary movement. Percep. mot. Skills16, 119–29.
6.
TaylorM. M. (1963b). Tracking the neutralization of seen rotary movement. Percep. mot. Skills16, 513–9.
7.
TaylorM. M. (1963c). Numerical prediction of a simple figural after-effect as a function of the contrast of the inspection figure. Psychol. Rev.70, 357–60.
8.
TaylorM. M.RossP. L. (1964). Tracking rotary motion after-effect with different illuminations of inspection and test fields. Percep. mot. Skills18, 885–8.
9.
WilsonJ. (1965). Adaptation and repulsion in the figural after-effect. Quart. J. exp. Psychol.17, 1–13.