Previous investigations of static and dynamic acuity have shown only inconsistent relations between measures of these aspects of visual performance. In the present study, six static and six dynamic visual sensitivity measures were gathered on 49 persons aged 7 to 61 years (M = 31 years). Contrary to previous findings, it was determined that when treated as latent factors with multiple indices, static and dynamic sensitivity are significantly correlated (r = 0.52). Further, both measures show an age-related decline, with dynamic sensitivity the most affected. Results have a bearing on models of spatial vision, efforts to determine screening procedures for performance in natural settings, and hypotheses concerning ontogenic decline in visual function.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Asher, H. B. (1983). Causal modeling (2nd ed.). Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
2.
Baron, W. S., and Westheimer, G. (1973). Visual acuity as a function of exposure duration. Journal of the Optical Society of America, 63, 212–219.
3.
Beal, R. P., Mayyasi, A. M., Templeton, A. E., and Johnston, W. G. (1971). The relationship between basket ball shooting performance and certain visual attributes. American Journal of Optometry and the Archives of the American Academy of Optometry, 48, 585–590.
4.
Brown, B. (1972). The effect of target contrast on dynamic visual acuity and eye movements. Vision Research, 12, 1213–1224.
5.
Burg, A. (1964). An investigation of some relationships between dynamic visual acuity, static visual acuity, and driving record (Tech. Report 64-18). Los Angeles: University of California, Department of Engineering.
6.
Burg, A. (1966). Visual acuity as measured by static and dynamic tests. Journal of Applied Psychology, 50, 460–466.
7.
Campbell, D. T., and Fiske, D. W. (1959). Convergent and discriminant validation by the multitrait-multimethod matrix. Psychological Bulletin, 56, 81–105.
8.
Cronbach, L. J. (1957). The two disciplines of scientific psychology. American Psychologist, 12,671–684.
9.
deKlerk, L. F. W. and van de Geer, J. P. (1966). The effect of exposure time and target velocity on dynamic visual acuity (Tech. Report 17F, 1966-3). Soesterberg, The Netherlands: National Defense Research Council TNO.
10.
Ericksen, R. A. (1964). Relation between visual search time and peripheral visual acuity. Human Factors, 6, 165–177.
11.
Ferguson, P. E., and Suzansky, J. W. (1973). An investigation of dynamic and static acuity. Perception, 2, 343–356.
12.
Geisler, W. S., and Davila, K. D. (1985). Ideal discriminations in spatial vision: Two-point stimuli. Journal of the Optical Society of America, 75, 1483–1497.
13.
Ginsburg, A. P. (1984). A new contrast sensitivity vision test chart. American Journal of Optometry and Physiological Optics, 61, 403–407.
14.
Gorsuch, R. L. (1974). Factor analysis.Philadelphia, PA: W. B. Saunders.
15.
Guilford, J. P. (1965). Fundamental statistics in psychology and education (4th ed). New York: McGraw-Hill.
16.
Harvey, L. O., Jr., and Gervais, M. J. (1978). Visual texture perception and Fourier analysis. Perception and Psychophysics, 24, 534–542.
17.
Homer, D. G. (1986). Dynamic visual acuity in sports performance. Unpublished master's thesis, University of Houston, Texas.
18.
James, L. R., Mulaik, S. A., and Brett, J. M. (1982). Causal analysis: Assumptions, models, and data.Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
19.
Joreskog, K. G., and Sorbom, D. (1984). LISREL VI.Mooresville. IN: Scientific Software.
20.
Kline, D. W., and Schieber, F. (1985). Vision and aging. In J. E. Birren and K. W. Schaie (Eds.), Handbook of the psychology of aging (2nd ed.). New York: Van Nostrand.
21.
Kosnik, W., Winslow, L., Kline, D., Rasinski, K., and Sekuler, R. (1988). Visual changes in daily life throughout adulthood. Journal of Gerontology, 43, P63–P70.
22.
Kulikowski, J. J., and Tolhurst, D. J. (1973). Psychophysical evidence for sustained and transient detectors in human vision. Journal of Physiology, 232, 149–162.
23.
Leibowitz, H. W., Post, R. B., and Ginsburg, A. P. (1980). The role of fine detail in visually controlled behavior. Investigative Opthalmology and Visual Science, 19, 846–848.
24.
Long, G. M., and Garvey, P. M. (1988). The effects of target color on dynamic visual acuity under photopic and scotopic viewing. Human Factors, 30, 3–14.
25.
Long, G. M., and Penn, M. A. (1986). Dynamic visual acuity and contrast in a college sample. Unpublished master's thesis, Villanova University, Villanova, Pennsylvania.
26.
Long, G. M., and Tuck, J. P. (1986). Reliabilities of alternate measures of contrast sensitivity functions. American Journal of Optometry and Physiological Optics, 65, 37–48.
27.
Ludvigh, E., and Miller, J. W. (1958). Study of visual acuity during the ocular pursuit of moving test objects. I. Introduction. Journal of the Optical Society of America, 48, 799–802.
28.
Miller, E. F. (1956, September). Ocular pursuit of a target moving in an apparent circular path. (Tech, Report I). Pensacola, FL: U.S. Naval School of Aviation Medicine.
29.
Miller, E. F. (1959, January). Effect of exposure time upon the ability to perceive a moving target (Tech. Report 2). Pensacola, FL: U.S. Naval School of Aviation Medicine.
30.
Murphy, B. J. (1978). Pattern thresholds for moving and stationary gratings during smooth eye movements. Vision Research, 18, 521–530.
31.
Nesselroade, J. R. (1986a). Sampling and generalizability: Adult development and aging research issues examined within the general methodology framework of selection. In K. W. Schaie, R. T. Campbell, W. M. Meredith, and S. C. Rawlings (Eds.), Methodological issues in aging research. New York: Springer.
32.
Nesselroade, J. R. (1986b). Selection and generalization in investigations of interrelationships among variables: Some commentary on aging research. Educational Gerontology, 12, 395–402.
33.
Norman, J., and Ehrlich, S. (1987). Spatial frequency filtering and target identification. Vision Research, 27, 87–95.
34.
Peckham, R. H., and Amer, L. J. (1952). Visual acuity, contrast, and flicker as measures of retinal sensitivity. Journal of the Optical Society of America, 42, 621–625.
35.
Pedhazur, E. J. (1982). Multiple regression in behavioral research (2nd ed.) New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.
36.
Reading, V. M. (1972). Visual resolution as measured by dynamic and static tests. Pflugers Archives, 333, 17–26.
37.
Regan, D., and Neima, D. C. (1984). Low-contrast letter charts in early diabetic retinopathy, ocular hypertension, glaucoma, and Parkinson's disease. British Journal of Ophthalmology, 68,555–559.
38.
Sanderson, F. H. (1981). Visual acuity and sports performance. In I. M. Cockerill, W. V. MacGillivary, and S. T. Cheltenham (Eds.), Vision and sport (pp. 64–79). London: Trinity Press.
39.
Sheehy, J. B. (1984). Dynamic resolution. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Pennsylvania State University.
40.
Schlaer, S. (1937). The relation between visual acuity and illumination. Journal of General Psychology, 21, 165–188.
41.
Sekuler, R. (1975). Spatial vision. Annual Review of Psychology, 25,195–232.
42.
Sekuler, R., Wilson, H. R., and Owsley, C. (1984). Structural modeling of spatial vision. Vision Research, 24, 689–700.
43.
Sharpe, J. A., and Sylvester, T. O. (1978). Effects of aging on horizontal smooth pursuit. Investigative Ophthamology and Visual Science, 17, 465–468.
44.
Spooner, J. W., Sakala, S. M., and Baloh, R. W. (1980). Effect of aging on eye tracking. Archives of Neurology, 37,575–576.
45.
van Nes, F. L., and Bouman, M. A. (1967). Variation in contrast sensitivity with luminance. Journal of the Optical Society of America, 57, 401–406.
46.
Watt, R. J., and Morgan, M. J. (1983). Mechanisms responsible for the assessment of visual location: Theory and evidence. Vision Research, 23, 97–109.
47.
Watt, R. J., and Morgan, M. J. (1985). A theory of the primitive spatial code in human vision. Vision Research, 25, 1661–1674.
48.
Weissman, S., and Freeburne, C. M. (1964). Relationship between static and dynamic acuity. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 70,141–146.
49.
Wild, J. M., and Hussey, M. K. (1985). Some statistical concepts in the analysis of vision and visual acuity. Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics, 5, 63–71.
