Colour vision helps distinguish light from material

Publication date: December 2019Source: Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, Volume 30Author(s): Frederick AA KingdomColour vision is not only useful for identifying hues but for determining the structure of the visual world. This latter use of colour vision exploits the physical relationships that exist between the pattern of colour (chromatic) and luminance variations in the natural environment. I argue that one important role for colour vision in this regard is to help distinguish material variations from variations in local light intensity, where material variations include changes in pigmentation, paint, stain and so on, and light intensity variations include shadows, shading and highlights. In fullfilling this role, colour vision enhances our ability to use variations in local light intensity to help identify the shapes and material properties of objects and surfaces. Such a role for colour vision reinforces the view that colour is integral to form processing in human vision.
Source: Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research