What is a primary characteristic of peripheral vision?

Peripheral vision is primarily characterized by its ability to detect motion effectively. This aspect of vision is crucial, as it allows an individual to be aware of their surroundings, particularly in situations where the focus is not on the periphery, such as when flying an aircraft or navigating through a busy environment.

While peripheral vision does contribute to some degree of color perception and can detect shapes, it is not as adept at providing detailed color discrimination as central vision, which relies heavily on cone cells located in the fovea of the retina. Additionally, peripheral vision is not focused on central objects; instead, it plays a significant role in understanding what's happening outside of direct sight.

Thus, detecting motion is the key function that highlights the advantage of peripheral vision, enabling pilots and individuals in various fields to maintain situational awareness and respond to stimuli that may not be directly in their line of sight.