Abstract
Changes of annulus luminance in traditional disk-and-annulus patterns can be perceived to be either reflectance or illuminance changes. In the present experiments, we examined the effect of varying annulus reflectance. In Experiment 1, we placed test and standard patch-and-surround patterns in identical Mondrian patchworks. Only the luminance of the test surround changed from trial to triaL., appearing as reflectance variation under constant illumination. Lightness matches were identical to brightness matches, as expected. In Experiment 2, we used only the patch and surround (no Mondrian). Instructions said that the illumination would change from trial to trial. Lightness and brightness-contrast data were identical; illumination gradients were indistinguishable from reflectance gradients. In Experiment 3, the patterns were the same, but the instructions said that the shade of gray of the test surround would change from trial to trial. Lightness matches were identical to brightness matches, again confirming the ambiguity of disk-and-annulus patterns.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Arend, L. E. (1990). Mesopic lightness, brightness, and brightness contrast. InOSA annual meeting technical digest 1990 (p. 206). Washington, DC: Optical Society of America. (Abstract)
Arend, L. E. (in press-a). Mesopic brightness, lightness, and brightness contrast.Perception & Psychophysics.
Arend, L. E. (in press-b). Surface colors, illumination, and surface geometry: Intrinsic-image models of human color perception. In A. L. Gilchrist (Ed.),Lightness, brightness, and transparency. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Arend, L. E., &Goldstein, R. (1987). Simultaneous constancy, lightness and brightness.Journal of the Optical Society of America A,4, 2281–2285.
Arend, L. E., &Goldstein, R. (1990). Lightness and brightness over spatial illumination gradients.Journal of the Optical Society of America A,7, 1929–1936.
Arend, L. E., &Spehar, B. (1993), Lightness, brightness, and brightness contrast: 1. Illuminance variation.Perception & Psychophysics,54, 446–456.
Brown, J., &Mueller, C. (1965). Brightness discrimination and brightness contrast. In C. H. Graham (Ed.),Vision and visual perception (pp. 208–250). New York: Wiley.
Evans, R. M. (1974).The perception of color. New York: Wiley.
Gilchrist, A. L. (1988). Lightness contrast and failures of constancy: A common explanation.Perception & Psychophysics,43, 415–424.
Gilchrist, A. [L.], Delman, S., &Jacobsen, A., (1983). The classification and integration of edges as critical to the perception of reflectance and illumination.Perception & Psychophysics,33, 425–436.
Hochberg, J. (1986). Representation of motion and space in video and cinematic displays. In K. R. Boff, L. Kaufman, & J. P. Thomas (Eds.),Handbook of perception and human performance (chap. 9, pp. 1–57). New York: Wiley.
Koffka, K. (1935).Principles of Gestalt psychology. New York: Harcourt, Brace, & World.
Leibowitz, H., Mote, F. A., &Thurlow, W. R., (1953). Simultaneous contrast as a function of separation between test and inducing fields.Journal of Experimental Psychology,46, 453–456.
Rock, I. (1975).An introduction to perception. New York: Macmillan.
Takasaki, H. (1966). Lightness change of grays induced by change in reflectance of gray background.Journal of the Optical Society of America,56, 504–509.
Wallach, H. (1948). Brightness constancy and the nature of achromatic colors.Journal of Experimental Psychology,38, 310–324.
Wallach, H. (1976).On perception. New York: Quadrangle/The New York Times Book Co.
Whittle, P. (1992). Brightness, discriminability and the “Crispening Effect”.Vision Research,32, 1493–1507.
Whittle, P., &Challands, P. D. C. (1969). The effect of background luminance on the brightness of flashes.Vision Research,9, 1095–1110.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This research was supported by Air Force Office of Scientific Research Grants AFOSR 86-0128 and AFOSR 89-0377 to L.E.A. B.S. was supported by NSF Grant BNS-8909182 to A. L. Gilchrist.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Arend, L.E., Spehar, B. Lightness, brightness, and brightness contrast: 2. Reflectance variation. Perception & Psychophysics 54, 457–468 (1993). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03211768
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03211768