4. Sensation and Perception
Color Vision
Struggling with Psychology?
Join thousands of students who trust us to help them ace their exams!Watch the first videoMultiple Choice
Opponent process theory explains which phenomenon that trichromatic theory doesn’t explain.
A
Colorblindness.
B
Afterimages.
C
Hallucinations.
D
Night vision.
Verified step by step guidance1
Begin by understanding the two theories: Trichromatic theory and Opponent process theory. Trichromatic theory suggests that the human eye has three types of receptors sensitive to red, green, and blue light.
Recognize that the Opponent process theory complements the Trichromatic theory by explaining how colors are perceived in opposing pairs: red-green, blue-yellow, and black-white.
Identify the phenomenon that Trichromatic theory does not explain well, which is the occurrence of afterimages. After staring at a color for a while and then looking away, you might see an afterimage in the complementary color.
Understand that the Opponent process theory accounts for afterimages by suggesting that staring at one color for a long time can fatigue the cells in the eye that respond to that color, leading to an afterimage in the opposing color when you look away.
Conclude that while Trichromatic theory explains how we perceive colors through three types of cones, the Opponent process theory explains the phenomenon of afterimages, which is not covered by the Trichromatic theory.
