EFFECT OF DURATION OF STIMULUS PRESENTATION ON ANGULAR ACCELERATION THRESHOLD

In order to establish the relationship between the angular acceleration threshold and the duration of the stimulus presentation, oculogyral illusion thresholds for 10 men were determined on the Ames Man-Carrying Rotation Device. Thresholds were determined for stimulus durations of .5, 1, 1.5, 3, and 6 sec. by a random, double-staircase psychophysical procedure. Mean oculogyral illusion thresholds ranged from .10-/sec2 to .62-/sec2 and varied inversely with the duration of the stimulus. The product of Acceleration * Duration of Stimulus Presentation (at) was found to be a significant increasing linear function of the duration of the stimulation, and not constant as earlier data tended to suggest. Differences between the ordinal presentation of the duration conditions were nonsignificant. The relation of the obtained threshold values and the at values to previous findings is discussed. (18 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved). © 1969 American Psychological Association.