All Flashcards
What is the key idea about color perception?
Perception is an active process, not a passive recording of reality.
What is the Young-Helmholtz trichromatic theory?
Retina has red, blue, and green color receptors that combine to make all colors.
What is the opponent-process theory?
Color vision depends on opposing processes: red-green, blue-yellow, white-black.
Explain colorblindness in terms of color receptors.
Lack of one or more color receptors (monochromatic or dichromatic).
What is dark adaptation?
Eyes adjust from cone vision to rod vision in the dark, becoming more light-sensitive.
What is the function of feature detectors?
Cells in the visual cortex respond to specific features like lines, angles, and movement.
What is the cause of the blind spot?
Where the optic nerve leaves the eye; no receptor cells are present.
What is the function of supercell clusters?
Teams of cells in the visual cortex that respond to complex patterns.
What is nearsightedness (myopia)?
Blurry distance vision due to too much cornea curvature.
What is farsightedness (hyperopia)?
Blurry near vision due to too little cornea curvature.
What is astigmatism?
Distorted vision due to an irregular cornea or lens shape.
How does parallel processing help us recognize faces?
Brain simultaneously processes color, motion, form to quickly recognize a friend.
How does accommodation allow us to see clearly at different distances?
The lens changes shape to focus on near and far objects.
How does the afterimage effect demonstrate opponent-process theory?
Staring at a color fatigues those neurons, causing you to see the opponent color afterward.
What is the effect of short vs. long wavelengths on color perception?
Short wavelengths = purple; long wavelengths = red.
What is the effect of different light intensities on the pupil?
Bright light = small pupil; dim light = large pupil.
What causes the blind spot, and why don't we notice it?
Optic nerve leaves the eye; brain fills in the gaps.
What is the effect of lacking certain color receptors?
Colorblindness (monochromatic or dichromatic).