Discrimination of velocities and mechanisms of motion perception

In a first experiment, velocity discrimination thresholds were measured in twenty-one experimental conditions by presentation of successive pairs of standard/comparison motions of a single spot target. Exposure times between 300 to 900 ms did not affect velocity discrimination. However, very slow velocity increased discrimination thresholds. Velocity discrimination is improved by the presence of stationary references and decreased by eccentricity. At slow velocities, in the absence of a motion phase, a discrete mode of presentation of the translation leads to higher discrimination thresholds than those observed with the continuous and stop-go-stop modes of the same translation. In a second experiment, it was shown that for shorter exposure time (100 ms), discrimination thresholds are much higher for the discrete mode. It is concluded that at long exposure time, velocity discrimination thresholds are essentially independent of the presence of a motion phase.