Salience-Based Edge Selection in Flicker and Binocular Color Vision.

Stuart Anstis,Grace Hong,Alan Ho

doi:10.1177/2041669520929047

Abstract

A test cross that flickers between light yellow and dark blue at 5 to 8Hz looks apparently yellow on a dark gray surround and apparently blue on a light gray surround (flicker augmented contrast). The achromatic surround cannot be inducing the perceived colors. Instead, the visual system selects the more salient apparent color with the higher Michelson contrast. The same is true for dichoptic vision. When one eye views a steady, light yellow cross and the other eye views a congruent steady dark blue cross, the binocular combination of colors looks apparently yellow on a dark gray surround and apparently blue on a light gray surround. Thus, when competing stimuli are distributed over time (flicker) or space (dichoptic vision), the visual system overweights the stimulus with the higher contrast. To see objects clearly, we accept the best view of any object and downplay inferior alternatives.

Highlights

A test cross that flickers between light yellow and dark blue at 5 to 8Hz looks apparently yellow on a dark gray surround and apparently blue on a light gray surround
In simultaneous contrast (Heinemann, 1955), a gray test cross looks slightly darker when viewed against a white surround than against a black surround
We have previously reported a much stronger form of simultaneous contrast (Anstis & Ho, 1998): A cross that flickers between light yellow and dark blue at 5 to 8 Hz looks yellowish on a dark gray surround and Corresponding author: Stuart Anstis, Department of Psychology, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States

Summary

Introduction

A test cross that flickers between light yellow and dark blue at 5 to 8Hz looks apparently yellow on a dark gray surround and apparently blue on a light gray surround (flicker augmented contrast). We have previously reported a much stronger form of simultaneous contrast (Anstis & Ho, 1998): A cross that flickers between light yellow and dark blue at 5 to 8 Hz looks yellowish on a dark gray surround and Corresponding author: Stuart Anstis, Department of Psychology, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States. Changing the surround luminance can completely change the appearance of a blue/yellow flickering cross.

Results

Conclusion