The Fröhlich effect: a consequence of the interaction of visual focal attention and metacontrast.
Usually we assume that the central nervous system preserves temporal sequences. Here we show that moving objects--in the context of behaviour often dangerous ones--are seen with a shorter latency than stationary (flashed) objects. In addition moving objects are deblurred. Two mechanisms contribute to this functional specialisation: cue-induced visual focal attention and metacontrast. Under unnatural conditions these mechanisms lead to an optical illusion first described by Fröhlich [Fröhlich, F. W. (1923). Uber die Messung der Empfindungszeit. Zeitschrift für Sinnesphysiologie, 54, 58-78].
Kirschfeld
K
K
Max-Planck-Institut für biologische Kybernetik, Tübingen, Germany. kuno.kirschfeld@tuebingen.mpg.de
Kammer
T
T
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001288:Attention; D015350:Contrast Sensitivity / Q000502:physiology; D003463:Cues; D006801:Humans; D009039:Motion Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D011930:Reaction Time