Threshold contrasts for red, green, and achromatic sinusoidal gratings were measured. Spatial frequencies ranged from 0.25 to 15 cycles/deg. No significant differences in contrast thresholds were found among the three grating types. From this finding it was concluded that, under conditions of normal viewing, no significant differences should be expected in the acquisition of spatial information from monochromatic or achromatic displays of equal resolution.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
BrindleyG. S.Physiology of the retina and visual pathway. Baltimore: Williams and Wilkins, 1970.
2.
BrownJ. L.KuhnsM. P.AdlerH. E.Relation of threshold criterion to the functional receptors of the eye. Journal of the Optical Society of America, 1957, 47, 198–204.
3.
CampbellF. W.The transmission of spatial information through the visual system. In SchmittF. O.WordenF. G., (Eds.) The neurosciences third study program. Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press, 1974.
4.
CavoniusC. R.EstevezO.Contrast sensitivity of individual color mechanisms of human vision. Journal of Physiology, 1975, 248, 649–662.
5.
DavidsonM. L.Perturbation approach to spatial brightness interaction in human vision. Journal of the Optical Society of America, 1968, 58, 1300–1309.
6.
EversonR. W.LeveneJ. R.Comparative performance of aviation filters on the human contrast sensitivity function. Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio: Aerospace Medical Research Laboratories, AMRL TR-73–13, 1973.
7.
GinsburgA.Applying visual psychophysics to display quality criteria. Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio: Aerospace Medical Research Laboratories, AMRL TR-77–91, 1977.
8.
GreenD. G.The contrast sensitivity of the colour mechanisms of the human eye. Journal of Physiology, 1968, 196, 415–429.
9.
KellyD. H.Lateral inhibition in human colour mechanisms. Journal of Physiology, 1973, 228, 55–72.
10.
LeGrandY.Fonn and space vision (MillodotM.HeathG. G.). Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1967.
11.
MarksW. B.DobelleW. H.MacNichoIE. F.Visual pigments of single primate cones. Science, 1964, 143, 1181–1183.
12.
RichardsW.Colored filters as factors in improving human visual acuity. Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio: Aerospace Medical Research Laboratories, AMRL TR-73–100, 1973.
13.
SchadeO. H.Electro-optical characteristics of television systems. I. Characteristics of vision and visual systems. RCA Review, 1948, 9, 5–37.
14.
SekularR.Spatial vision. In Annual review of psychology (vol. 25), 1974.
15.
Van NesF. L.BoumanM. A.Spatial modulation transfer in the human eye. Journal of the Optical Society of America, 1967, 57, 401–406.
16.
VeronaR. W.Contrast sensitivity of the human eye to various display phosphor types. Paper presented at the Society for Information Display International Symposium, San Francisco, April, 1978.