Hi Jennifer: Thanks for the answer. Is this all sensory memory is? Afterimages?
Jean ----- Original Message ----- From: "jpuente" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Teaching in the Psychological Sciences" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Sunday, November 02, 2003 1:07 PM Subject: RE: apparition Hi Jean, I think this can possibly be explained in terms of the Opponent Process Theory (although this was proposed to explain color vision). This was a theory that came out after Trichromatic (three color) Theory (proposed by Young and Helmholtz), to account for visual phenomena like after images that this initial color theory could not explain. Basically, the Opponent Process Theory states that after leaving the receptor cells, visual information is analyzed in terms of the opponent colors. In the retina and thalamus some neurons turn on for red, for example, but off for green. This explains afterimages, in the example where you stared at the black and white image you have attached to this email, you saw an after image because your receptor cells tired of sending black and white responses, while they are in their refractory period their opponent cells are more active. Keyword searches for after images, opponent processes, visual processing, should yeild some interesting answers for you. Also check out information about vision at the exploratorium website: http://www.exploratorium.edu/seeing/index.html; other visual exhibits at http://www.exploratorium.edu/exhibits/f_exhibits.html Jennifer Puente, M.A., A.B.D. Cognitive Psychologist Department of Psychology William R. Harper College 1200 W. Algonquin Road Palatine, Illinois 60067-7398 Phone: (847) 925-6344 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Web: http://www.harpercollege.edu >===== Original Message From "Teaching in the Psychological Sciences" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> ===== >Hi everyone: > >A student sent this to me asking for an explanation. If you look at the column of four dots in the center of the design for about 30 seconds and then look away or close your eyes, you will see a circle of white light shortly followed by an image of a person with long hair and a mustache >which then fades. > >Sensation & perception are not my area of expertise. Does this have something to do with vision? Would it also be an example of sensory memory? Could this also help to explain reports of "ghosts"? > >Any help in explaining this to my student (and to me) would be greatly appreciated. > >Thanks, > >Jean Edwards >[EMAIL PROTECTED] (home) >[EMAIL PROTECTED] (work) Jennifer Puente, M.A., A.B.D. Cognitive Psychologist Department of Psychology William R. Harper College 1200 W. Algonquin Road Palatine, Illinois 60067-7398 Phone: (847) 925-6344 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Web: http://www.harpercollege.edu --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
