When you stare at a red surface and look away at a white background, you see a green color afterimage. Which color theory can explain the phenomenon the best?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Opponent process theory proposes that our visual system has opposing pairs of colors (red vs. green and blue vs. yellow) that cannot be perceived at the same time. Staring at a red surface fatigues the receptors for red, resulting in a visual system bias towards green, causing the green afterimage on the white background. The trichromatic theory explains color perception based on the response of three types of color receptors (red, blue, and green), but it cannot explain the opponent process seen in afterimages. The dual-process theory combines aspects of both the trichromatic and opponent process theories but does not provide a clear explanation for these specific afterimages.

When You Stare at a Red Surface and Look Away