Fields define a picture signal, and each field is divided into a plurality of sub fields. A plasma display panel includes discharge cells formed at crossing portions of row and column electrodes. A sub field group includes a head sub field and at least one subsequent sub field. Each sub field of the sub field group includes a selected writing address stage for selectively discharging a discharge cell in question so as to set the discharge cell into a lighting mode in accordance with the picture signal. At least one sub field subsequent to the sub field group includes a light emission maintaining stage for repeatedly maintaining discharge of the discharge cell in only the lighting mode for a number of times in accordance with weighting of the plurality of sub fields. One of the one sub field includes a selected light extinction address stage for selectively discharging only a discharge cell which undergoes the light emission maintaining stage in an immediately preceding sub field, in accordance with the picture signal so as to set the discharge cell in a light extinguishing mode.
