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1.1.4. CONTRAST, CONTRAST SENSITIVITY, AND CONTRAST contrast, which are each appropriate for a particular
GAIN kind of stimulus, the two different definitions are
Contrast is a physical property of the visual related because they refer to a single physical reality,
stimulus; it is the magnitude of luminance variation namely the relative variation of a modulated
in the stimulus relative to the average luminance. component referred to a steady state, or average,
We will show that the perception of contrast component.
depends upon retinal adaptation. There is a problem Contrast sensitivity we define as one divided by
with defining contrast precisely because there are the psychophysical threshold contrast, either Weber
two obvious definitions which differ approximately or Rayleigh contrast as the case may be. Contrast
by a factor of two. In studying the visibility of gain is neural response divided by stimulus contrast
aperiodic objects like uniform disks or bars or (Weber or Rayleigh) and will have units mV per unit
rectangles on a background, the natural definition contrast, or (impulses/s) per unit contrast.
of contrast is At low contrast, the Rayleigh contrast of a
grating is approximately one half the Weber
C = (Lo-LB)/(LB) (la)
contrast, as can be seen by comparing equation (1)
with equation (3) as applied to Fig. 1. The Rayleigh
where Lo is the luminance of the object and LB the
luminance of the background, as indicated in Fig. (a)
l(a). Lo - - LB is usually called M_~ and so equation APERIODIC STIMULUS
(1) is usually written as:
I Background
C = AL/LB. (lb)
[L, ILo
It is well known that for test stimuli of large area
the psychophysical sensitivity follows Weber's Law
ALT/L B = k (2a)
(b) PERIODIC STIMULUS
CT = k (2b)