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Vision Res. 1992 Aug;32(8):1551-6. doi: 10.1016/0042-6989(92)90210-a.

Redness from short-wavelength-sensitive cones does not induce greenness.

Vision research

S K Shevell

Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, IL 60637.

PMID: 1455727 DOI: 10.1016/0042-6989(92)90210-a

Abstract

According to opponent-colors theory, a reddish surround induces greenness in a central test field. Color-appearance measurements verify this with a long-wavelength reddish surround (660 nm) but not with a short-wavelength reddish surround (440 nm). Surprisingly, a short-wavelength reddish surround shifts the appearance of a test toward redness. Four possible explanations are: (1) stray light from the short-wavelength reddish surround falls in the test area; (2) receptoral sensitivity changes overwhelm induced greenness from the surround; (3) a neural process of assimilation, rather than contrast, to the surrounding light; and (4) short-wavelength-sensitive (S) cones do not contribute to induced redness/greenness. Chromatic cancellation experiments confirm the fourth explanation. There was no change in induced redness/greenness when quantal absorption by only S cones in the surround was varied by 30-fold (using tritanopic metamers), even though varying stimulation of S cones strongly affected the color appearance of the surround. The redness induced by a short-wavelength surround is accounted for by opponent chromatic induction mediated by only middle- and long-wavelength-sensitive cones.

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