The angle velocity of eye movements.
Year: 1901
Type: article
Abstract: accurate measurements of the angle velocity of the eye movements under normal conditions. METHOD AND APPARATUS.When the problem of the velocity of the eye movements first assumed psychological importance two methods had already been proposed for its measurement.Of these the method of Volkmann ' was manifestly inaccurate.He reckoned the time of one movement of the eyes by dividing the total time during which the eyes moved rapidly back and forth between two fixation points, by the number of movements.This would obviously include not only the time of movement, but the interval of rest as well.The other method was devised by Lamansky' under the direction of Ilelmholtz.While it gave results only in large units of measurement, it was unquestionably the better of the methods available, and as modified by Dodge gave more nearly accurate results than had hitherto been obtained.The method in brief was as follows: As the eye moved through a given arc a pencil of light was flashed into it at regular intervals.The number of flashes seen during the movement would be in direct ratio to the time of movement.Besides the error involved in the large unit of measurement, the method showed :>everal other sources of error.Since the flashes appeared elongated in direct proportion to the velocity of the eye, flashes which fused in consequence of the slower movement at the beginning or end of an excursion would give no clue to the number of their constituent elements.Moreover, the experimentation was necessarily limited to monocular vision in a darkened room after adaptation and consequent rest, while it was apparently possible to materially reduce the velocity of movement under slightly modified conditions of the attention.All these facts rendered it doubtful if the results could be applied to the eye movements of normal vision, without correction.Our results show that the defects of the Lamansky method were not over-1 Wagner's ' Handworterbuch,' III., 1, 1846, pp.275 ff. 1 • Ueberdie Winkelgeschwindigkeit der Blickbewegung,' P/luger's ArMv, 1S69, II., pp.418 ff.
Source: Psychological Review
DOI: 10.1037/h0076100
Authors: Raymond Dodge, Thomas Sparks Cline
Institution: Wesleyan University
Language: English
Subfield: Cognitive Neuroscience
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2056379323