Binocular summation on fused annular backgrounds.

A paradigm has been proposed to test the hypothesis that binocular fusion results in simple summation, S, of monocular photopic luminances: S = delta LBM(L)/delta LB(2L) = 1, where delta LBM and delta LB are threshold luminances for a monocular and a binocular increment, appearing on a fused background of luminance L or 2L, respectively. This prediction was tested psychophysically, with background size as parameter. Thresholds were measured for a brief (20 ms) foveal flash centered on a luminous disk encircled by a massive black annulus serving as a fusion lock. The flash was presented binocularly, or monocularly, at 30 and 60 cd m-2 background luminances. The diameter of the disk was varied from 3 min to 40 min visual angle. The size of the flash was constant (6 min diameter), except for the smallest disk (3 min diameter). All thresholds varied as a function of background size (the known 'sensitization effect'). The summation index S did not vary with background size. A mean value S = 0.9 was found; this is consistent with the notion that summation of the order of 90% occurs during binocular fusion. We surmise that even a weak monocular test flash makes fusion less than perfect.