Foveal contour interaction: detection and discrimination.

Contour interaction, the detrimental effect of flanking features on the discrimination of optotypes, has been studied mainly close to the visual acuity limit. We were interested to know how these results compare with those for the detection of targets. According to the simplest model of contour interaction, comparable detection effects would be expected. The case for low-level masking would be further strengthened if the form and nature of the dependence on flank separation and flank polarity followed that typically found in studies of lateral spatial masking [Vision Res. 33, 993 (1993)]. Landolt Cs subtending a visual angle of 0.25 degrees, 0.5 degrees, and 1.0 degrees were presented and contrast thresholds for detecting the presence of the Landolt C and discriminating its orientation were measured in five normal subjects as a function of flank separation and flank polarity. The results obtained for the relationship between detection and discrimination depend on the size of the target used. For small letters, discrimination but not detection was significantly affected by flanking bars. For large letters, detection and discrimination were affected to the same extent. However, in this case the effectiveness of opposite-polarity flanks and the finding that facilitation occurred at close, not far, flank separations suggests that the simplest explanation in terms of masking may not be applicable.