Perceptual differentiation of sequential visual patterns

Two experiments examined the ability to perceive a difference between two sequentially presented visual patterns. An otherwise undetectable camouflaged target form was made visible by the sequential presentation of two random-contoured patterns that were identical except for the presence of the camouflaged form in one of the patterns. Experiment 1 found that form identifications became less accurate as a function of the luminance and contours of an intervening stimulus pattern and as a function of the ISI, falling to nearly a chance level by only 30 msec. Experiment 2 illustrated contrasts in stimulus conditions and in temporal characteristics of the differentiation and the integration of sequential visual patterns. Differentiation apparently differs from integration in the following respects: (1) it requires the sequential presentation of correlated patterns, in contrast to the uncorrelated patterns that produce masking when integrated; (2) it has a maximal effect with sequential presentation at ISI=0 rather than with simultaneous presentation; and (3) it operates over a shorter range of ISI than does integration.

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