The trichromatic theory of color vision proposes that color perception is mediated by three distinct types of cone cells in the retina. Each cone type is maximally sensitive to a different wavelength of light, corresponding to red, green, or blue. According to this theory, the full spectrum of colors we perceive is produced by the brain interpreting the combined signals from these three types of cones.

Trichromatic Theory of Color Vision

The opponent-process theory asserts that color is processed in opponent pairs: black-white, yellow-blue, and green-red. According to this model, specific cells in the visual system are excited by one color in a pair and inhibited by the other. This theory is particularly useful for explaining visual phenomena such as the negative afterimage.

Opponent-Process Theory

Based on the description of this visual experience, which of the two primary theories of color perception provides the most direct explanation for it, and why?

Explaining a Visual Phenomenon

There are two primary theories that explain how humans perceive color: the trichromatic theory and the opponent-process theory. These models describe the mechanisms through which the visual system processes wavelength information to create the experience of color.

Google

New York University

People tend to use a high amount of visual information to inform their daily activities. There is also a lot of sensory information coming in through the eyes, which makes the visual system a highly researched field of neuroscience. 

Vision

Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020, April 22). Psychology (2nd ed.). OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/1-introduction

OpenStax Psychology (2nd ed.) Textbook

Many structures in the eye work together to "see"
- Cornea
- Lens
- Ciliary muscles
- Pupil
- Extraocular muscles
- Retina
- Fovea
- Iris
- Optic nerve

Anatomy of the Visual System

Images are processed  in a manner constrained by the design of visual systems. As a result, some image features can become distorted in ways that alter our perception.

Optical Illusions

- How the eye functions
- Neural signals to the brain regions
- Receptive fields
- Brain regions involved in sight
- Vision impairment and blindness
- Visual illusions

Topics in Vision

Vision References

Depth perception is the cognitive ability to perceive the world in three dimensions (3-D) and to understand the spatial relationships between objects. This capacity allows for the description of objects' relative positions, such as being in front, behind, above, below, or to the side of one another.

Depth Perception

Theories of Color Perception

Using your understanding of the visual process, explain why Alex and Ben can have two completely different interpretations of the same visual stimulus.

Learn Before

Related

Learn After