Replication of reaction time to stimuli masked by metacontrast.

Abstract

Fehrer and Raab (1962) investigated the effects of metacontrast masking of a test flash upon the reaction time (RT) elicited and found that RT was determined solely by the luminance and duration of the test stimulus. The present experiment repeated the major portion of their study for both foveal and peripheral presentation conditions with asynchronies ([DELTA]t) between test (5-msec. duration) and mask (50-msec. duration) of 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100 msec. The data indicate that phenomenal diminution of the brightness of the test flash does not produce an increase in RT, a result consistent with that obtained by Fehrer and Raab.