Vision: Temporal Factors

Perception is modified by changes in visual stimuli that take place over time. For example, the apparent brightness of a stimulus may vary as a function of duration, even if its luminance is constant. Further, the appearance of a stimulus is affected by its timing with respect to other stimuli. For example, a flash of light may not appear to be a flash at all if it is embedded in a series of flashes (a phenomenon called flicker fusion, described further in the entry). Also described in this entry are the roles of temporal factors in brightness perception and factors in visual physiology and stimulus visibility.