Citation

Malhotra MK. Acta Psychol. 1960; 17: 253-259.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1960, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

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PMID

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Abstract

Two experiments were performed to study the relative importance of certain factors for the figural after-effects.The I-figure consisted of two straight lines subtending an angle of 160[deg] between themselves (Fig. 1), drawn with black India ink on a white card. The T-figure consisted of two horizontal straight lines drawn in a straight line with a short gap between them (Fig. 2). The T-figure was drawn with black India ink on a card, half of which was grey and the other half of which was white.There were 20 subjects, 10 for each experiment. The T-card was presented to the 5 subjects in each experiment with its grey half on the left and its white-half on the right and for the other 5 subjects in each experiment the case was just the opposite.Due to the effect of the cortical satiation on the figural after-effects as postulated by Kohler, the T-line on the white ground should show more pronounced after-effects than the T-line on the grey ground. On the other hand, the effect due to the negative after-image of the I-figure should be stronger on the T-line on the grey ground than on the T-line on the white ground. Again, due to the effect of the location of the stimuli in the visual field on the figural after-effects, the T-line on one side should be affected more pronouncedly than one on the other side, irrespective of the colour of its ground.The results obtained in the experiments showed clearly that the effect of the location of the stimuli in the visual field on the figural after-effects is more important than that of the cortical satiation and the negative after-images. This has brought out the strong dependence of the figural after-effects on the location of the stimuli in the horizontal dimension of the visual field.