Groner, R., Groner, M. T., Bischof, W. F., and Di Lollo, V. (1990). On the relation between metaconstrast masking and suppression of visible persistence. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 16, 381-390.

Does the introduction of additional contours in a display sequence (an operation known to reduce the strength of suppression in metacontrast) also reduce suppre ssion of visible persistence? In three experiments, duration of visible persiste nce was estimated by a method in which successful performance depends on the tem poral integration of a pattern whose elements are displayed in two successive frames. In this procedure, the arrival of the trailing frame is known to exert a s uppressive influence on the visible persistence of the leading frame. Embedding the elements of the leading frame within additional contours (a line grid) reduc ed the degree of suppression exerted by the trailing frame. This did not occur w hen the grid was part of the trailing display. We conclude that suppression of v isible persistence and metacontrast masking belong to the same class of events.

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