Recent vision research has led to the emergence of new techniques that offer exciting potential for a more complete assessment of vision in clinical, industrial, and military settings. Emergent Techniques for Assessment of Visual Performance examines four areas of vision testing that offer potential for improved assessment of visual capability including: contrast sensitivity function, dark-focus of accommodation, dynamic visual acuity and dynamic depth tracking, and ambient and focal vision. In contrast to studies of accepted practices, this report focuses on emerging techniques that could help determine whether people have the vision necessary to do their jobs. In addition to examining some of these emerging techniques, the report identifies their usefulness in predicting performance on other visual and visual-motor tasks, and makes recommendations for future research.

Emergent Techniques for Assessment of Visual Performance provides summary recommendations for research that will have significant value and policy implications for the next 5 to 10 years. The content and conclusions of this report can serve as a useful resource for those responsible for screening industrial and military visual function.

Contents

• WORKING GROUP ON EMERGENT TECHNIQUES FOR ASSESSMENT OF VISUAL PERFORMANCE
• COMMITTEE ON VISION
• PREFACE
• INTRODUCTION
• CONTRAST SENSITIVITY FUNCTION
  • Background
  • Conclusions and Recommendations
• DARK-FOCUS: ANOMALOUS REFRACTIVE ERRORS AND ACCOMMODATION
  • Background
  • Implications
  • Recommendations
• DYNAMIC MEASURES
  • Dynamic Visual Acuity
  • Dynamic Depth Tracking
• TWO MODES OF VISUAL PROCESSING
  • Background
  • Implications
  • Recommendations
• SUMMARY RECOMMENDATIONS
• APPENDIX A: BASIC FACTORS IN SPATIAL CONTRAST SENSITIVITY
• APPENDIX B: DETECTION SENSITIVITY AND RESPONSE BIAS
• APPENDIX C: BASIC CONCEPTS IN FOURIER ANALYSIS
• APPENDIX D: THE USE OF TESTS FOR SCREENING AND SELECTION
• REFERENCES
• Report Documentation Page

This work relates to Department of the Navy contract N00014-80-C-0159 issued by the Office of Naval Research under Contract Authority NR 201-124. However, the content does not necessarily reflect the position or the policy of the government, and no official endorsement should be inferred.

NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.

This report has been reviewed by a group other than the authors according to procedures approved by a Report Review Committee consisting of members of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine.

The National Research Council was established by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy's purposes of furthering knowledge and of advising the federal government. The Council operates in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy under the authority of its congressional charter of 1863, which establishes the Academy as a private, nonprofit, self-governing membership corporation. The Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in the conduct of their services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. It is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. The National Academy of Engineering and the Institute of Medicine were established in 1964 and 1970, respectively, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences.