Measured visual acuity as a function of phenomenal size.

Abstract

DISSERTATION Presented in P a rtia l F u lfillm en t o f theRequirements fo r the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School o f The Ohio S tate U niversity By EARL ARTHUR ALLOTS I , B .S ., M.A. The Ohio S ta te U niversity 19$hApproved by: i>hn R* Kinzer, Advttsor apartment of Psychology TO THE MEMORY OF A FRIEND FRANK FRANCHI 1889-195U Sergeant M ajor, drays B a t t a l i o n 1st V irg in ia I n f a n tr y i i ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The author wishes to express h is appreciation to the many frien d s and colleagues -whose h elp , encouragement, and c r itic ism s have contributed to -what i s "good" in th is paper. E sp ecially to be thanked are th e follow in g: Dr. R. 7 . Walker, Army Medical Research Laboratory, fo r heading a laboratory notably fr e e o f mental con strain ts j the members o f the Psychology Department (e sp e c ia lly o f the V ision S e c tio n ), AMRL, for allow ing me to en joy the stim u lation o f th e ir endeavours} W. J . White, Aero-Med Laboratory, WADC, for h is alw ays-in terestin g comments, h is encour agement, and h is aid in the so lu tio n o f a seemingly in so lv a b le apparatus problem} Dr. E. 0 . Hubbard, Optometrist, fo r helping to s t a r t th is research} the members o f the fa c u lty and student body o f the 195k Summer Session o f the College o f William and Mary, fo r so kindly volunteering as observers, e s p e c ia lly B ill Hux for serving as Major Domo} Dr. S . B. W illiam s, C ollege of William and Mary, fo r being both frien d and teacher} the members o f my reading committee, Drs. P. M. F it t s , G. A. Fry, and P. Ratoosh, fo r th e ir commenting to improve the pages which follow } and,

On the possible relations between discriminability and apparent magnitude

“…The Oppel-Kundt illusion of filled and empty space is sometimes explained in the same way as Weber's tactile illusion of length, the increased number of discretely stimulated units leading to greater apparent length. There is some evidence that increased apparent size is accompanied by a slight increase in visual acuity (Alluisi, 1955;McFadden, 1940;Ross, 1965). Taylor argued that this was true for figural after-effects (1 962a) and certain geometrical illusions (1 9626).…”