On the Response of the Human Eye to Light Stimuli Presenting a Spatial or Temporal Gradient of Luminance*

Abstract

The authors discuss the results of the experiments on vision of spatial and temporal gradients of luminance. There is some evidence that the cone mechanism is responsible for the vision of Mach bands; on the other hand it appears both from measurements in the peripheral retina and from electroretinographic investigation that the rod system contributes to the sensation of higher brightness of the graded field.A possible relation is pointed out between the phenomena occurring in the vision of a field with a spatial gradient of luminance and the vision of a field with a temporal gradient of luminance.