Designing optimum CRT text blinking video image presentation

A reference scale has been established to assist in the determination of optimum text blinking times for portions of video image texts being presented on CRT display systems. Optimum text blinking time herein is considered to be that time which most effectively catches and holds viewer attention and quickens his understanding of message import. Three experiments involving questions of the psychology of blinking time were conducted. The first experiment examined subjects' preconceived notions of optimum blinking time, i.e. what they imagined, within their own minds, such times would be for specific text portions. The second experiment determined the gap between those preconceived notions and the subjects' changed concepts of optimum blinking times, based on their experience of visual trials. The third experiment applied a scale of blinking times, based on the experience gained in the second experiment, to a new set of subjects in order to further refine our understanding of optimum intervals. For the portions of text used here, optimum blinking times centered about 1.0 second.

Moreover, through an adaptation to the video image presentation system, the effectiveness of the optimum text blinking times and the psychological scale was confirmed.