Implications of a transient-sustained dichotomy for the measurement of human performance

Recent evidence suggests that the human visual system has two components: a sustained system that will respond to static contrasts and a transient system that will only respond to rapid changes over time. The present article provides further support for a transient-sustained dichotomy of visual information processing by examining the effects of abrupt changes in visual stimulation in a variety of situations. Several experiments are reported in which stimuli are presented both with and without abrupt onsets. The results of these experiments, together with other evidence, suggest that the overall effects of abrupt changes in visual stimulation may be more extensive than has previously been suspected.