Chapter four introduces many interesting concepts relating to our sensation and perception. Color perception is a vital aspect to our every day lives as we rely on it to enjoy everything in the world.
How we perceive color is a debatable topic that can be explained by two different theories: Trichromatic Theory and Opponent Process Theory. Opponent Process Theory describes our perception in pairs: either red or green, blue or yellow, or black or white. In contrast,Trichromatic Theory is defined as the idea that color vision is based on our sensitivity to three primary colors (blue, green, and red).
Color blindness is a very intriguing topic that can be described by the Trichromatic because the majority of color blindness is the inability to distinguish between reds (known as red-green dichromats). The Ishihara Test for Red-Green Color Blindness is a common test for color blindness:
If you can't see the number in the image above, you most likely suffer from red-green color blindness.
The Mayo Clinic explains that the causes of color blindess range from: inherited genetic disorder, medications, and even aging. Thus, color blindness can inflict anyone, which is one of the main reasons why it is such an interesting topic to research. Currently there are no known treatments for color blindness, but The Mayo Clinic suggests that some cases may qualify for gene replacement treatments that may become available in the future.
Sources:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/poor-color-vision/DS00233/DSECTION=treatments-and-drugs
http://colorvisiontesting.com/plate%208%20%20%20%20%2029.jpg
Lilienfeld, Scott, et al. Psychology: From Inquiry to Understanding. Boston, Massachusetts. 2010. Print.
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