Cite as:
Kremláek J, Pääkkönen A, Chlubnová J, Kuba M, 2000, "Flicker-based colour illusion in peripheral vision" Perception 29 ECVP Abstract Supplement

Flicker-based colour illusion in peripheral vision

J Kremláek, A Pääkkönen, J Chlubnová, M Kuba

We describe a novel illusion reflecting different temporal processing of colour information in the central and peripheral parts of the visual field. Five subjects with normal colour vision (aged 23 to 52 years) viewed a red - green flicker at eccentricities of 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 deg. The 35 Hz flicker consisted of alternation of a red and a green Gaussian patch. The standard deviation of the circular luminance profile of both patches was 2 deg. The peak luminance of the red patch was 6.3 cd m^-2 and that of the green patch 9 cd m^-2. The flicker was presented for 1 s after 1 s adaptation to a red or a green patch.

In the central 5 deg the flicker colour was perceived as yellow independently of the adaptation. In the peripheral vision at eccentricities > 20 deg the reported flicker colour was opposite to the adaptation colour -- if the adaptation colour had been green, the flicker was perceived as red and vice versa. In addition to the eccentricity dependence, the perceived flicker colour depended on the adaptation. When the adaptation time was shortened from 1 s to 0.5 s, the smallest eccentricity at which the illusion was observed increased from 20 to 50 deg.