PSYCH 1XX3 Chapter Notes - Chapter 8: Color Vision, Color Mixing, Complementary Colors
Document Summary
The ability to see color is not because the surface or objects themselves are inherently colorful. The reason we see different colors is because the objects an surfaces we look are reflect light at certain wavelengths. Wavelengths trigger specific patterns of response in our brains that give rise to our subjective perception of color. In mammals color vision is limited to primates. Many fish, reptiles and insects have color vision. Primates have three types od cones in the eyes that are used for color vision. They are well suited to distinguishing yellow and red against a green background; which helped with foraging for food objects and their background. The biological advantage that color vision would have given primates added contrast between. For birds, the color of a potential mate"s feathers provides signals to other birds regarding health, which affects if they choose to mate. Bees see nectar maps on flowers which are invisible to the human eye.
