At 10:37 AM -0600 2/18/00, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
>Listpersons,
>
>I have a student who is most upset by the notion that "color" only exists in
>one's mind (i.e. in the visual association cortex.) At least that is how she
>is translating my introductory psychology textbook's explanation that color
>is the brain's interpretation of the wavelength of the light being detected.
>
>My question is: how do you guys summarize color vision for your intro
>students? And, since in a real sense ALL visual perception occurs only in
>"one's mind" how do you handle the big, weird existential questions that
>sometimes follow from this revelation?
>
>Thanks for any help you can give...
>
>Nancy Melucci
>SMC/LAHC/ECC
>HB CA BYOB
Let's see if this helps. I point out that there are many forms of energy in
the environment around us and we are able to perceive only a small fraction
of them. The presence of large amounts of radioactivity, the majority of
the electromagnetic spectrum, higher sound frequencies, etc. go
unperceived, even though some forms such as radioactivity may kill us in
sufficient quantities. Try asking your students to imagine what they would
perceive if they were sensitive to radio broadcast frequencies rather than
light. Perceptions exist because the senses can respond to certain
energies, and the brain interprets these energies in a particular way. You
can also point out that even though we can't deal well with other's private
experience, psychophysical methods generally show good agreement in the
judgments different observers make of the same physical stimulus.
Doug Wallen Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Psychology Department Phone: (507) 389-5818
23 Armstrong Hall
Minnesota State University, Mankato Fax: (507) 389-5831
Mankato, MN 56001
