[Lightness decrease of the total area accompanying simultaneous lightness contrast]

Matches to the Munsell Lightness Scale were made in the two areas in a contrast-inducing pattern whose luminance difference was less than about 10%, and were compared with those of two uniform luminance field of corresponding luminances. The results showed (1) the simultaneous lightness contrast appeared in the contrast-inducing pattern, (2) the high luminance area in the contrast-inducing pattern appeared darker than the uniform luminance field of the same luminance. The lightness decrease in the high luminance area could be explained neither by Békésy's neural units model nor by Stevens' power transformation model, since Békésy's model predicts that high luminance area should appear lighter than the corresponding uniform luminance pattern, while Stevens' model expected the identical lightnesses between the two areas. In order to explain both the simultaneous lightness contrast and the lightness decrease, it was introduced a new model which included not only the antagonistic excitation and inhibition depending upon luminance-intensity, but also the non-antagonistic inhibition which is dependent upon the luminance-difference.