PSYC 100 Lecture 9: Vision

• School: Queen's University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 100
• Professor: Jordan Poppenk

Document Summary

Can change in size to increase or decrease amount of light. Cornea- clear cover to eye, brings light into eye like a lens. Lens- focuses light onto the back of the eye. Optic nerve- dense bundle of fibers that connect to the brain. Retina- absorbs light and sends signals related to the properties of light to the brain. Cones- for brighter conditions with lots of colour. Photopigments- when exposed to light, increases electrical potential (make neurons fire) and reflect light (turn white) Dark adaptation- rods and cones get increasingly sensitive to light in dark conditions. Eyes get used to darkness through unbleaching. Purkinje shift- eye shifts towards blue end of the colour spectrum at low illumination. Colour vision is determined by three different cone types. Brain interprets colour by analyzing how many of the different cones are firing. Opponent-process theory- we perceive colour in opposing pairs: red and green, yellow and blue, and black and white.