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| Kuehni, R.G. Variability in Unique Hue Selection: A Surprising Phenomenon Color Research & Application 2004 (29)2:158-162 [html] |
| Data from ten different experiments involving nearly 600 observers of determination of unique hues are compared. Six experiments involve determination using spectral lights; two use desaturated monitor colors, and the remaining two use color chip sets. Except for unique green, color chips result in narrower ranges of results than spectral lights. Unique green has a surprisingly large range of variation in both spectral light and color chip experiments, followed by red. Comparison of spectral light data indicates that one observer's unique blue can be another's unique green and vice versa, and the same for yellow and green. This finding raises significant questions for color appearance and color space/difference models, as well as philosophy of color. |
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| Yamauchi, Y. & al What determines unique yellow, L/M cone ratio or visual experience ? 9th Congress of the International Colour Association 2002 (4421):275-278 [pdf] |
| Unique yellow is considered to represent the equilibrium point of the red-green opponent chromatic mechanism. There are several hypotheses that attempt to explain how this equilibrium point is established. The determinant for unique yellow, however, has not yet been clarified. Here we explored whether the L/M cone ratio or visual information determines unique yellow. If the former is the case, we expect that subjects with large differences in their L/M cone ratio would set different spectral lights to appear as unique yellow. The results of such an experiment, however, did not show a substantial difference in the value of unique yellow for two subjects with very different cone ratios. On the other hand, if the latter is the case, unique yellow should change when altering the chromaticity of the surrounding visual environment. To test this hypothesis, we conducted long-term adaptation experiments, in which subjects spent 8 to 12 hours in a chromatically altered environment. A significant shift of unique yellow was observed after spending time in such an environment for several days. These results indicate that the red-green opponent channel includes a plastic normalization mechanism that adjusts its balance point based on visual experience. |
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