Perception of a Straight Line Briefly Exposed

Abstract

The stimulus was a vertical, straight, red line, 17 cm. long and about 2 mm. wide, which for 60 msec. was projected onto a medium grey screen 2 m. from S. Fixating the nethermost point of the line S experienced that the line grew from the point of fixation to full length in order and then decreased in length to the point of fixation. The experienced time of lengthening-shortening, which on an average was about 570 msec. for 37 Ss, was measured by means of a special methodology. At measurable time of lengthening-shortening of Ss' experiences of the line were a regular oscillating phenomenon of perception. We have sought a functional relation between the oscillating phenomenon of perception mentioned and the oscillating processes of the brain.