Psych 463 Sensation And Perception: Dr. Swift Sixth Assignme

Psych 463 Sensation Perceptiondr Swiftsixth Assignment Color1col

Psych 463 Sensation & Perception Dr. Swift Sixth Assignment (Color) 1. Color Mixing. Use Project Lite, following directions at the end of the assignment. For each of the following, produce the specified color in the center of the diagram (i.e., where all 3 circles overlap), and report on the outputs of the three color guns. (In some cases, you may wish to set a value of 0 for a given circle). Note that there is no single correct answer for any given color.

Color R G B

Red Green Pink Greenish-Blue Orange Blue Yellow Violet Yellow-Green Purple

2. Cone Response and Perceived Color. Look at the following graph, noting that the dashed line is for rods and should be ignored. For each of the following, produce the specified color, and report on the relative outputs of the three cones (S, M, L) that correspond with the following colors, noting that the output values are given on the Y axis. For the basic colors (e.g., yellow, green, blue), note that I have specified values close to a unique hue—i.e., one that does not appear to have any other color present.

Color S M L

Red (675 nm)

Green (500 nm)

Orange (610 nm)

Greenish-Blue (485 nm)

Yellow (575 nm)

Blue (460 nm)

Yellow-Green (550 nm)

Violet (440 nm)

3. Opponent Process System. Look at the slide from your PowerPoint Presentation, reproduced below. Pick a wavelength in that matches the indicated color (i.e., is within the indicated range). Note that for Blue, Green, and Yellow, you should be picking unique hues—i.e., ones that do not appear to have any other color. For example, do not pick a yellow that is slightly greenish or slightly reddish. For each of the following, indicate the relative output of (a) the Blue-Yellow mechanism (negative means blue and positive means yellow) and (b) the Red-Green mechanism (negative means green and positive means red). I have done 1 as an example.

Color Wavelength R/G B/Y

Red (nm) 655 +.25 +.10

Green (nm)

Orange (nm)

Greenish-Blue (about 485 nm)

Yellow (580 nm)

Blue (nm)

Yellow-Green (nm)

Violet (about 420 nm)

4. McCollough Effect demonstration. Perform the basic experiment on yourself, adapting for at least two full minutes (five is even better). Guiding actions include: a. Observe whether the black and white form appears faintly colored; describe the colors and locations. b. Tilt your head partially sideways (45°) and note any changes. c. Tilt fully sideways (90°) and note any changes. d. Explain the underlying phenomena observed in each step.

Directions for using Project Lite Color Package (related to Question # 1):

1. Go to the software platform.
2. Ensure the brightness control slide bars display visible numbers; adjust if necessary by downloading updates.
3. Do not alter hue or saturation controls—only adjust brightness.
4. Set brightness sliders to produce the desired color at the diagram's center and record control values.

Paper For Above instruction

The perception and production of color involve complex interactions of physiological, cognitive, and perceptual mechanisms. This comprehensive exploration involves color mixing, cone responses, opponent-process systems, and perceptual phenomena such as the McCollough effect, providing a broad understanding of how humans perceive, interpret, and reproduce color.

Introduction

Color plays a critical role in human perception, facilitating object recognition, emotional responses, and aesthetic appreciation. Understanding how color is produced, perceived, and processed involves examining the physics of light, physiology of the visual system, and perceptual processing mechanisms. This paper discusses the exercise of color mixing via project tools, cone response analysis, opponent process theories, and the intriguing McCollough effect, integrating empirical observation and scientific theories.

Color Mixing and Producing Specific Colors

Using the Project Lite software, one can simulate additive color mixing by adjusting the intensities of three primary colors—red, green, and blue—through controlling the respective color guns. When producing a specific color, the objective is to set the values of each primary to achieve the desired overlap in the center of the diagram. For example, producing purple might involve simultaneously activating red and blue at appropriate intensities while minimizing green. The process illuminates how combinations of primary colors can produce a wide spectrum of perceived colors, a principle fundamental to digital displays and lighting design.

The lack of a single "correct" value underscores the fact that perception of color is subjective and can vary depending on ambient conditions and individual differences in visual physiology. For example, adjusting the RGB values to produce a pink shade involves increasing red while minimal or no green and blue influences the hue distinctly perceived as pink. Multiple combinations can produce similar visual appearances, highlighting the importance of perception over raw physical parameters.

Cone Responses and Perceived Color

The human visual system relies on three types of cone cells—S (short wavelength), M (medium wavelength), and L (long wavelength)—each sensitive to specific parts of the spectrum. Cone responses form the foundation of color perception, with the relative activation of these cones determining perceived hue. For typical colors—such as red, green, or blue—the cone responses are distinct, with red primarily stimulating L-cones, green stimulating M-cones, and blue stimulating S-cones.

Analysis of the cone responses for specific colors reveals how the visual system discriminates among hues. For instance, red light (~675 nm) strongly stimulates L-cones, with minimal S and M stimulation, whereas blue (~460 nm) predominantly stimulates S-cones. Yellow (~575 nm) stimulates L and M cones equally with minimal S activation. These patterns support the trichromatic theory of color vision, which explains how combinations of cone signals produce the full spectrum of perceived colors.

Opponent Process System

The opponent-process theory posits that color perception is facilitated by antagonistic channels—namely, red-green and blue-yellow. These channels encode color information in opposing pairs, such that the activation of one color inhibits perception of its opponent. For example, a wavelength within the blue range (~485 nm) will produce a negative value on the B/Y (blue-yellow) axis, indicating blue perception, while simultaneously influencing the R/G (red-green) mechanism depending on the wavelength’s position within the spectrum.

This system explains phenomena such as afterimages and color illusions, where the stimulation of one channel leads to the perception of its opponent once the stimulus is removed. For example, viewing a wavelength that strongly stimulates the blue channel results in the perception of yellow when the stimulus ceases, consistent with negative B/Y values. Similarly, red wavelengths, such as 655 nm (~red), produce positive R/G responses, reinforcing the antagonistic nature of these channels.

Experimental data on wavelength responses can be aligned with this theory, highlighting how the visual system encodes and interprets hue through these opponent mechanisms.

The McCollough Effect and Visual Adaptation

The McCollough effect demonstrates how prolonged exposure to color-and-orientation pairings can induce a perceptual aftereffect, where black-and-white patterns appear tinted in specific colors. When performing the experiment, viewers report faint coloration in the patterned images, typically in the patches aligned with the training stimuli. These afterimages tend to be stable and last for extended periods post-exposure, illustrating neural plasticity in color processing pathways.

Tilting the head partially or fully sideways alters the perceived color due to changes in spatial orientation and the neural mechanisms mediating aftereffects. The observed changes suggest that the underlying neural systems encode orientation-specific associations between color and form, likely involving higher visual cortical areas beyond simple retinal responses.

Explanations for the McCollough effect involve theories of adaptation in cortical neurons sensitive to both orientation and color. The prolonged exposure effectively 'training' the neural circuits, leading to a temporary shift in their responsiveness. When the stimulus is removed, these neural networks continue to influence perception, producing the phenomenon of color aftereffects, which exemplifies neural plasticity in perceptual systems.

Conclusion

Overall, these diverse investigations of color perception—from mixing primary colors to cone responses, opponent processes, and neural adaptation—highlight the complexity of the human visual system. The interplay between physical stimulus properties and neural processing underpins our rich and nuanced experience of color. Understanding these mechanisms not only advances scientific knowledge but also informs technological applications such as display design, lighting, and vision correction. The fascinating phenomena such as the McCollough effect exemplify the dynamic plasticity of the perceptual system, emphasizing that perception is an active, interpretive process shaped by physiological and experiential factors.

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