If you stare for 30 seconds at a red object and then look at a blank sheet of white paper, you will see a greenish image of the object. This phenomenon best supports the ________ theory of color vision.
A) Helmholtz opponent-process
B) Hering trichromatic
C) Hering opponent-process
D) Helmholtz trichromatic

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The Hering opponent-process theory of color vision proposes that we process color information in terms of three opposing pairs: red-green, yellow-blue, and black-white. Staring at a red object fatigues the red-sensitive cells in the retina, making the opposing green-sensitive cells more active. When you look at a white sheet of paper, the green image is still being processed, leading to the perception of a greenish afterimage. This phenomenon cannot be explained by the Helmholtz trichromatic theory, which proposes that color vision is based on three types of cones that are sensitive to different wavelengths of light. The Helmholtz opponent-process theory, on the other hand, proposes that there are four primary colors: red, yellow, blue, and green, and that the perception of all other colors results from the interaction of these primary colors. However, this theory cannot explain the afterimage phenomenon described above.

If You Stare for 30 Seconds at a Red Object