After staring at a red light for several minutes, Leon looks away at a white field. Leon is surprised to see a green dot about the same size as the red light floating on the white background. The color afterimage that Leon sees provides support for the __________ theory of color vision.
A) trichromatic
B) opponent-process
C) Young-Helmholtz
D) signal-detection

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The opponent-process theory of color vision suggests that cells in the visual system have opposite responses to red-green, blue-yellow, and black-white colors. When staring at a red light, the cells that respond to that color become fatigued and less sensitive. When Leon then looks at a white background, the cells that respond to green become relatively more active and produce the perception of a green afterimage, supporting the opponent-process theory. The trichromatic and Young-Helmholtz theories focus on the presence of three primary colors and the processing of light at the level of the retina and cones, while signal-detection theory pertains to sensory processing and decision making.

After Staring at a Red Light for Several Minutes, Leon