Psych 421 - Sensation & Perception

Chapter 7 - Color - Study Notes

Dr. Carpenter

Rev. 2/01

I.    What is the physical nature of color?

            A.    Dimensions

                        1.    Hue

                        2.    Saturation

                        3.    Brightness

            B.    How do we represent these dimensions?

                        1.    The Color Wheel

                        2.    The Color Solid

            C.    How do we make colors?

                        1.    Additive Color Mixing

                                    a)    Complementary Colors

                                    b)    Metamers

                        2.    Subtractive Color Mixing

II.    How do psychologists theorize about color?

            A.    Trichromatic Theory - the receptor level - Young-Helmholtz

                        1.    What is it and how does it work?       

                        2.    What evidence supports it?

                        3.    What are the problems with it?

            B.    Opponent-Process Theory - ganglion and beyond - Hering, Hurvich & Jameson

                        1.    What is it and how does it work?

                        2.    What evidence supports it?

                        3.    What is the problem with it?

            C.    Retinex Theory - Edwin Land

III.    What are the principles for how it works?

IV.    What do we know about how color is coded beyond the receptors?

            A.    From the retina to the LGN?

            B.    Coding in the cortex?

            C.    Who are DeValois and DeValois and what do they offer?

            D.    Achromatopsia

                        1.    What is it?

                        2.    What does it tell us about color vision?

V.    What deficiencies occur in color vision?

            A.    Normal Trichromat

            B.    Anomalous Trichromat

            C.    Dichromat

                        1.    Protanope

                        2.    Deuteranope

                        3.    Trianope

            D.    Monochromat

            E.    How are color vision deficiencies diagnosed - Ishihara Test

VI.    What special issues or phenomenon occur in color vision?

            A.    Phenomena indicating that factors other than wavelength are part of color perception

                        1.    Simultaneous Color Contrast

                        2.    Successive Color Contrast

                        3.    Color Constancy

                        4.    Subjective Colors

                        5.    Memory Color

                        6.    Color Stereopsis

                        7.    Purkinje Shift

                        8.    Color Categories

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