Memory color effect

<h2 id="form-identification">Form identification</h2>
<p>Memory color plays a role when detecting an object. In a study where participants were given multiple objects, such as an apple, with two alternate forms for each, a crooked apple and a circular apple, researchers changed the colors of the alternate forms and asked if they could identify them. Most of the participants answered "unsure," suggesting that we use memory color when identifying an object. The research redefined memory color as a phenomenon when "a form's identity affects the phenomenal hue of that form."<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a>
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<h2 id="color-effect-on-memorization">Color effect on memorization</h2>
<p>Memory color effect can be derived from the human instinct to <a href="/facts/Memorization/NAHkWTGE">memorize</a> objects better. Comparing the effect of recognizing gray-scaled images and colored images, results showed that people were able to recall colored images 5% higher compared to gray-scaled images. An important factor was that higher level of contrast between the object and background color influences memory. In a specific study related to this, participants reported that colors were 5% to 10% easier to recognize compared to black and white.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a>
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<h2 id="color-constancy-and-memory-color-effect">Color constancy and memory color effect</h2>
<p><a href="/facts/Color_constancy/QAI244Xf">Color constancy</a> is the phenomenon where a surface to appear to be of the same color under a wide rage of illumination.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7"><sup>7</sup></a> A study tested two hypotheses with regards to color memory; the photoreceptor hypothesis and the <a href="/facts/Surface_reflectance/wj1opySc">surface reflectance</a> hypothesis. The test color was surround either by various color patches forming a complex pattern or a uniform “grey” field at the same chromaticity as that of the illuminant. The test color was presented on a dark background for the control group. It was observed that complex surround results where in line with the surface-reflectance hypothesis and not the photoreceptor hypothesis, showing that the accuracy and precision of color memory are fundamentals to understanding the phenomenon of color constancy.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8"><sup>8</sup></a>
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<h2 id="significance-to-the-evolution-of-trichromacy">Significance to the evolution of trichromacy</h2>
<p class="note">See also: <a href="/facts/Evolution_of_color_vision_in_primates/KcfEeyDF">Evolution of color vision in primates</a></p>
<p>While objects that possess canonical hues make up a small percentage of the objects which populate humans’ visual experience, the human <a href="/facts/Visual_system/QVcuA27K">visual system</a> evolved in an environment populated with objects that possess canonical hues. This suggests that the memory color effect is related to the emergence of trichromacy because it has been argued that trichromacy <a href="/facts/Evolution/Hj0qAaBk">evolved</a> to optimize the ability to detect <a href="/facts/Ripening/Nkn4Mqdh">ripe</a> fruits—objects that appear in canonical hues.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9"><sup>9</sup></a>
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<h2 id="in-perception-research">In perception research</h2>
<p>In perception research, the memory color effect is cited as evidence for the <a href="/facts/Opponent_process/gMv5MSsJ">opponent color theory</a>, which states that four basic colors can be paired with its opponent color: red—green, blue—yellow. This explains why participants adjust the ripe banana color to a blueish tone to make its memory color yellow as gray.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10"><sup>10</sup></a> Researchers have also found empirical evidence that suggests memory color is recruited by the visual system to achieve color constancy. For example, participants had a lower percentage of color constancy when looking at a color incongruent scene, such as a purple banana, compared to a color diagnostical scene, a yellow banana. This suggests that color constancy is influenced by the color of objects that we are familiar with, which the memory color effect takes part.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11"><sup>11</sup></a>
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<h2 id="references">References</h2>

<ol>
<li id="fn:1"><p>Ewald Hering (1964). Outlines of a theory of the light sense. Harvard University Press. ISBN 9780674649002. {{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help) <a href="9780674649002" target="_blank">9780674649002</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:2"><p>Bartleson, C. J. (1960). "Memory Colors of Familiar Objects". Journal of the Optical Society of America. 50 (1): 73–77. Bibcode:1960JOSA...50...73B. doi:10.1364/JOSA.50.000073. ISSN 0030-3941. PMID 13797246. <a href="/wiki/Bibcode_(identifier)" target="_blank">/wiki/Bibcode_(identifier)</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:3"><p>Hansen, T.; Olkkonen, M.; Walter, S.; Gegenfurtner, K.R. (October 2006). "Memory modulates color appearance". Nature Neuroscience. 9 (11): 1367–1368. doi:10.1038/nn1794. PMID 17041591. S2CID 15513884. <a href="/wiki/Nature_Neuroscience" target="_blank">/wiki/Nature_Neuroscience</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:4"><p>Witzel, C.; Valkova, H.; Hansen, T.; Gegenfurtner, K.R. (March 2011). "Object knowledge modulates colour appearance". i-Perception. 2 (1): 13–49. doi:10.1068/i0396. PMC 3485772. PMID 23145224. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3485772" target="_blank">https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3485772</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:5"><p>Mial, R.P. (1974). "The effect of memory color on form identification". Perception & Psychophysics. 16: 1–3. doi:10.3758/BF03203241. <a href="https://doi.org/10.3758%2FBF03203241" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.3758%2FBF03203241</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:6"><p>Dzulkifli, M. A. (2013). "The influence of colour on memory performance: a review". The Malaysian Journal of Medical Sciences. 20 (2): 3–9. PMC 3743993. PMID 23983571. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3743993" target="_blank">https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3743993</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:7"><p>Wolfe, Jeremy. Sensation & Perception (5th ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 163. <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:8"><p>Jin, Elaine W.; Shevell, Steven K. (1996-10-01). "Color memory and color constancy". JOSA A. 13 (10): 1981–1991. Bibcode:1996JOSAA..13.1981J. doi:10.1364/JOSAA.13.001981. ISSN 1520-8532. PMID 8828200. <a href="https://www.osapublishing.org/josaa/abstract.cfm?uri=josaa-13-10-1981" target="_blank">https://www.osapublishing.org/josaa/abstract.cfm?uri=josaa-13-10-1981</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:9"><p>Regan, B.C.; Julliot, C.; Simmen, B.; Vienot, F.; Charles-Dominique, P.; Mollon, J.D. (March 2011). "Fruits, foliage and the evolution of primate colour vision". Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 356 (1407): 229–283. doi:10.1098/rstb.2000.0773. PMC 1088428. PMID 11316480. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1088428" target="_blank">https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1088428</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:10"><p>Wolfe, Jeremy M.; Kluender, Keith R.; Levi, Dennis M. (2018). Sensation & Perception (5th ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 151. <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:11"><p>Granzier, J.M.; Gegenfurtner, K.R. (2012). "Effects of memory colour on colour constancy for unknown coloured objects". i-Perception. 3 (3): 190–215. doi:10.1068/i0461. PMC 3485846. PMID 23145282. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3485846" target="_blank">https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3485846</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
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Memory color effect open-in-new

Memory color effect