R/G AND Y/B OPPONENT-COLOR MECHANISMS REVEALED IN TEMPORAL INTEGRATION FOR BICHROMATICALLY MIXED LIGHTS

In the present study, the critical durations for temporal integration at theshold were obtained for bichromatically mixed (red/green and yellow/blue) test lights presented against darkness and achromatic backgrounds of different intensities. Critical durations crucially depended on the mixing ratio of the red and green components: it was shortest when red and green components were balanced in intensity canceling chromaticness of both components, and longer for red and green monochromatic lights. This trend was pronounced with backgrounds of higher intensities but was not obvious with dim backgrounds. The results of yellow/blue condition showed that critical durations were shorter when yellow component was dominant, as well as when yellow and blue components were balanced in intensity canceling chromaticness of both components, but when blue monochromatic light was dominant, it was longer than in other mixture conditions and changed less with the elevation of the background intensity. The results were interpreted as demonstraing the red/green and yellow/blue opponet‐color mechanism's participation. Copyright © 1990 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., A Wiley Company