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Paradoxical shifts in human color sensitivity caused by constructive and destructive interference between signals from the same cone class

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 September 2006

ANDREW STOCKMAN ,
ETHAN D. MONTAG  and
DANIEL J. PLUMMER
ANDREW STOCKMAN
Affiliation:
Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
ETHAN D. MONTAG
Affiliation:
Rochester Institute of Technology, Center for Imaging Science, Munsell Color Science Laboratory, Rochester, New York
DANIEL J. PLUMMER
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
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Abstract

Paradoxical shifts in human color (spectral) sensitivity occur on deep-red (658 nm) background fields. As the radiance of the deep-red background is increased from low to moderate levels, the spectral sensitivity for detecting 15-Hz flicker shifts toward shorter wavelengths, although by more than is predicted by selective chromatic adaptation (e.g., Eisner & MacLeod, 1981; Stromeyer et al., 1987; Stockman et al., 1993). Remarkably, though, at higher background radiances, the spectral sensitivity then shifts precipitously back towards longer wavelengths. Here, we show that both effects are due in large part to destructive and constructive interference between signals generated by the same cone type. Contrary to the conventional model of the human visual system, the M- and L-cone types contribute not just the customary fast signals to the achromatic or luminance pathway, but also slower signals of the same or opposite sign. The predominant signs of the slow M- and L-cone signals change with background radiance, but always remain spectrally opposed (M-L or L-M). Consequently, when the slow and fast signals from one cone type destructively interfere, as they do near 15 Hz, those from the other cone type constructively interfere, causing the paradoxical shifts in spectral sensitivity. The shift in spectral sensitivity towards longer wavelengths is accentuated at higher temporal frequencies by a suppression of fast M-cone signals by deep-red fields.

Keywords

Color visionSpectral sensitivityPostreceptoral channelsFlicker sensitivityPhase differencesLuminanceChromatic
Type
TEMPORAL FACTORS
Information
Visual Neuroscience , Volume 23 , Issue 3-4 , May 2006 , pp. 471 - 478
Copyright
© 2006 Cambridge University Press

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