Reaction times to different spatial frequencies as a function of detectability

Simple reaction time to sine-wave gratings of 1, 4 and 10 c/deg was measured as a function of the detectability of the gratings. Reaction time increased with spatial frequency over a range of detectabilities. Assuming that equally detectable gratings produce equivalent levels of response in the visual system, this increase in reaction time reflects an increase in perceptual latency as spatial frequency is increased.