[Brightness power function and equal brightness contour for dark- and light-adapted eye in the peripheral visual...

To test whether the equal brightness contour at supra-threshold runs parallel with the contour at threshold, magnitude estimation and the staircase procedure were employed for estimating brightness power function under dark- and light-adaptation. The luminance was changed from 43 to 83 dB re 10(-6) cd/m2 with the light adapting luminance at 53 dB. The retinal loci tested were 0 degrees to 70 degrees periphery in steps of 10 degrees. The exponent of the power function gradually increased from .37 to .73 as eccentricity and adapting luminance increased. The equal brightness contour decreased for dark-adaptation and increased for light-adaptation as eccentricity increased at supra-threshold but at threshold did not follow the parallel hypothesis for both adapting conditions.