Sinusoidal flicker characteristics of the color-sensitive mechanisms of the eye

Abstract

The flicker characteristics of the color-receptive systems of the eye were investigated by measuring the modulation thresholds for sinusoidal flicker of one color superimposed on a background of a complimentary color. A procedure is outlined that allows the flicker characteristics determined using red, green and blue stimuli to be compared. The results obtained indicate that the red and green mechanisms have frequency response characteristics with about equal peak sensitivity but differing in shape at low and intermediate rates of flicker. The blue-sensitive mechanism has a reduced flicker fusion frequency which seems to be due largely to the depressed modulation sensitivity of the mechanism.