VISUAL RESOLUTION AND CONTOUR INTERACTION IN THE FOVEA AND PERIPHERY

The experiments provide quantitative data on the nature of contour interaction at the fovea and in the periphery to 10° eccentricity for observers with normal vision. Results with Landolt ring targets similar to those used by Flom et al. (J. opt. Soc. Am. 53, 1026-1032) show that contour interaction effects are greater in peripheral vision. In central vision the increase in minimum angle of resolution (MAR) that occurred with the introduction of bars around the Landolt ring is small and much less than the experimental variation, whereas in peripheral vision bars at any of the ring-bar separations tested produced a consistent increase in MAR. Relationships between MAR and eccentricity are presented and compared with those in the literature. Reasons for the variation between previous studies are suggested. © 1979.