Visual persistence and the effect of eccentric viewing, element size, and frame duration on bistable stroboscopic motion percepts

Abstract

Bistable stroboscopic motion percepts can be generated when two frames, each consisting of three square elements, are presented alternately at varying interstimulus intervals (ISIs). End-to-end element motion is observed at short ISIs; group motion is observed at long ISIs. We found that the ISIs at which transitions from element to group motion occurred decreased as (1) viewing eccentricity, (2) element size, and (3) frame durations increased. Since visual pattern persistence also decreases as each of these three parameters increases, we conclude that such persistence plays a role in determining which percept dominates in bistable stroboscopic motion. © 1986 Psychonomic Society, Inc.