PSY280 - 6. Colour Flashcards
Color
not physical property, but it’s related to a physical property (wavelength)
diff wavelengths of light are interpreted by system as diff colour
Color
words we use to describe colour evolves over time
every culture/language, 1 colour emerges first - red
as language evolves, more colours identified
blue last colour, not much in nature is blue - we just collectively call the sky blue
Color
colour not actually a physical property, just related to one
result of interaction betw stimulus + nervous system
rats just interpreting wavelengths differently we do
wavelength of light reflected is a property
function of color: signaling
tell diff betw safe food/rotten food - food safety
illness can be expressed as changes in colour of skin
traffic lights
The function of color: perceptual organization
allows us to perceptually separate objects
facilitate finding fruit
The function of color: object recognition
to identify objects
association betw colour + object
changing colour messes with object identification
typical colours/atypical colours/black + white: effects for reaction time + accuracy for object recognition
Achromatic colors
experienced when light is reflected equally across the spectrum.
Chromatic colors (hues)
experienced when light is selectively reflected – when some
wavelengths are reflected more than others
experience green, some wavelengths of blue reflected
yellow: represented at 570 - yellow, actually has long wavelengths
translate physical wavelengths - perception of colour
3 problems:
- Detection
- Discrimination: we have to be able to tell diff betw wavelengths
- Appearance (constancy): assignment need to go with certain objects + not change in different lighting conditions
Rods
one kind of photopigment (rhodopsin protein + retinal)
detection of light in the eye by wavelength
Cones
1 of 3 kinds of photopigments (“opsins” + retinal).
they vary based on the opsid
rhodopsin, diff opsin but same retinal
Opsin
determines spectral sensitivity of photoreceptor
dictates which wavelengths is strongly activating
relative proportion of light absorbed vs wavelength
It’s combo of sensitivities that gives
us the visible spectrum
diff absorption spectrums - diff wavelengths absorbed effectively
peak sensitivities of 3 cones roughly correspond to blue, green, red
in terms of short, medium, and long wavelengths
S-cones
5–10%
none in fovea- fovea not sensitive to this wavelength
M-cones
~30% more in fovea 531 nm sensitive to range of wavelengths green: each stimulated to some degree, M is just stimulated the most
L-cones
long
~60%
more in fovea
L-cones: 558 nm
discrimination of color
Each photopigment sensitive to a range of wavelengths.
response strength varies for diff wavelengths of the same intensity
discrimination of color
pattern of activation important in discriminating colour
response curve for single photoreceptor
light presenting to photopigment same intensity, only thing varies is wavelength
The problem of univariance
output of a single photoreceptor is
completely ambiguous
any mix with properly adjusted wavelengths
The problem of univariance
H
Trichromatic Theory
it’s all relative
Color vision depends on 3 different receptor mechanisms (cones)
Trichromatic Theory
s cone response: 450 nm big/625 nm absent
m cone response: 450 nm moderate/625 nm moderate
l cone response: 450 nm smaller/625 nm big
Trichromatic Theory
Diff wavelengths of light produce a unique pattern of activation for 3 cones.
mess with intensity, response size will change, but relationships will not.
relative proportion will stay the same regardless of the intensity
Trichromatic Theory
light we perceive as orange 625
stimulating L cone, M-cone 70% of response of L cone
blue: s cone response big, m-cone moderate, l-cone small
each colour elicits 3 levels of activation for each cone
Trichromatic Theory
Newton (1666): color not a physical property of an object, but in the light.
sunlight can be split into discrete components
diff components make up the diff colours
white light contained all wavelengths
Young-Helmholtz Theory
Using color matching technique, Young (and Helmholtz) found that 3 mixing lights are needed to match any
reference light.
Metamers
Physically diff mixtures of wavelengths that look identical. M-Cones L-cones red light 40 units 80 units green light 80 units 40 units total 120 units 120 units yellow light 120 units 120 units