7/28/22

PSYC 236 Perception and Cognition

Mark Schira room: 41.G48 consultation: by appointment: mschira@uow.edu.au

Recap, refresh and finalize physiology

Ò Inverse Retina
Ò Photoreceptors: Rods and 3xCones
Ò The retina changes with eccentricity
É Fovea
É Periphery
Ò 3 layer Retina
É Photoreceptors
É Middle layer
É Ganglion cells (Midget (P), Parasol (M), bistratified (K)
Ò The Pathways, Magno (M), Parvo (P) and Koni (K)
Ò The Pathways are named after the LGN cells.

The Macula/Fovea – What does it do?

Legal
blindness
at about
15
degree

1° = 0.3mm on the retina

From: Hans-Werner Hunziker, (2006) Im Auge des Lesers

1
 7/28/22

Ganglion Cells in the Retina

The three pathways

Are a bit confusingly named. Sorry not my fault. I am just the messenger…

Parvo-System Midget

Magno-System Parasol

Bistratified
Konio-System

2
 7/28/22

From Retina to LGN

Inputs Segregated by Eye and Ganglion Cell Type

Midget

Parasol

Bistratified

3 Pathways
Ò Parvo-path: Fairly small cells (midget ganglion cells
and parvocellular cells in LGN). About 80%, small
receptive fields. High spatial resolution.

Ò Magno-path: Large cells (parasol ganglion cells and

magnocellular cells in LGN). About 10%, large
receptive fields. Fast. Colour blind. Respond to low
contrast.

Ò Konio-path: Small cells (bistratified ganglion cells and

konicellular cells in LGN). 8-10%, large receptive
fields. blue on (S-cones are rare), red green off
receptive fields.

Pathway Specialisation – Functional and Behavioral Characteristics

Parvo (Midget, Small), Magno (Parasol, Big) and Konio Ganglion Cells

Characteristics Parvo Path Magno Path Konio Path

Proportion of all ganglion cells 80% 10% Less then 10%
in the retina
Cell size Small Large Small in LGN
Conduction velocity Slow Fast Slow/variable
Spatial resolution High Low Moderate
Temporal resolution Low High High
Contrast sensitivity Low Good Modest
Receiving input from: distinguishes sum of S, L & M cones
L & M cones L & M cones

The pathways are named after LGN cells, NOT retinal cells.
9

3
 7/28/22

Receptive Field LGN

10

Center-Surround Receptive Fields Ganglion Cells (LGN & Retina)

+ +++
++++ +++
____ ++++
++++
_
++ +++ ___
++++ _
++
++++
++++

11

On-Center

-
-
- +
-
-

-
-
- +
-
-

-
-
- +
-
-
Light on off

12

4
 7/28/22

On-Center Off-Center
Off-Center

- +
- +
- + + _
- +
- +

- +
- +
- + + _
- +
- +

- +
- +
- + + _
- +
- +
Light on off Light on off

Off center is best activated with light doughnut

13

Quick Test
Which of the following is not true

a) Parasol ganglion cells have large receptive fields and fast

and transient responses.
b) Bistratified ganglion cells are part of the K pathway.
c) Midget ganglion cells are mostly connected to rod receptor
cells.
d) Midget ganglion cells project to Parvocellular cells in the
LGN.

14

Summary of todays first part

Ò Retinal Ganglion cells: (Midget (P), Parasol (M),

bistratified (K)
Ò The Pathways, Magno- (M), Parvo- (P) and Koni-
(K) cellular. Named after LGN
Ò Receptive fields: on and off centre.

15

5
 7/28/22

COLOUR

16

We use it to pick our food.

17

For example finding the ripe Apples…

18

6
 7/28/22

Much harder when you can’t see red.

19

And we do see when colours are off

20

The Tokyo subway map, unthinkable without colour.

21

7
 7/28/22

In artwork

22

Colour perception is smart

23

Layout

Ò Light colour and reflectance.

ÒA story about three cones: Trichromacy.
Ò Metamers
Ò Colour mixing
Ò Colour blindness

Ò Is trichromatic vision the only option?

24

8
 7/28/22

What is white light?

25

Remember this slide?

•Electromagnetic waves: from Radio to Gamma rays

•Long waves low energy, short waves high energy per photon
•No fundamental difference between wavelength’
• except visual frequencies abundant from the sun.

26

What is white light?

27

9
 7/28/22

So how does colour come to exist?

Partial reflection

28

So how does colour come to exist?

Tells us something about the object

29

Why do we see colour?

400 500 600 700

Ò Three different cones: Trichromacy

30

10
 7/28/22

Why do we see colour?

400 500 600 700

Ò Imagine we had only one cone

31

One cone can’t discriminate colour

100% response
(maximum firing rate)
Sensitivity

50% response

same response

400 500 600 700

wavelength

32

One cone can’t discriminate colour

50 % response
Sensitivity

50% response

same response

400 500 600 700

wavelength

33

11
 7/28/22

One cone can’t discriminate colour

50% response
Sensitivity

! 50% response
ce
ir an
a
nivresponse
50%
u
f
eo
same response

cipl
rin
hep
T
400 500 600 700

wavelength

34

The principle of Univariance

Ò One cone can only change firing rate up or down.

Ò One cone fires more or less depending on the
light intensity.
Ò One cone fires more or less depending on its
sensitivity to the light frequency

Ò Cannot distinguish between intensity and colour,

both affect the firing rate.

35

How would M-cone only vision look?

M-cone monochromatic

36

12
 7/28/22

Why do we see colour?

400 500 600 700

Ò Three different cones: Trichromacy

37

S-cone

M-cone

L-cone

S M L S M L S M L S M L

38

So how do three cones analyse colour?

i.e. monochromatic 450 nm

S M L

39

13
 7/28/22

So how do three cones analyse colour?

monochromatic 510nm

S M L

40

Red

650 nm

S M L

41

Light mixture
510 nm 650 nm

? =
S M L
S M L

510 nm 650 nm

+
S M L S M L

42

14
 7/28/22

So what about yellow?

570 nm

S M L

43

So what about yellow?

570 nm

S M L

44

The visual system discriminates these?

!!
Green + Red

e
sam
S M L

the
look
y
Yellow

The
S M L

45

15
 7/28/22

Metameres

?
A B

S M L

46

Metamers

Ò The retina reduces complex (multidimensional)

spectra of light into three 3 dimensions (one for
each cone type).
Ò For each cone ratio there are infinite different
spectra that could give rise to it.
Ò Metamers are different spectra that result in
the same relative cone activation and
consequently look identical.

47

Different whites

cool white: warm white:

more short frequencies more long frequencies

S M L

48

16
 7/28/22

So what about purple?

?
Ò There is no monochromatic light that is purple. (NOT VIOLET)
Ò Purple is a mixture of red and blue.
Ò Physics can not offer an explanation why purple should look the way
it does.

49

Purple or additive colour mixing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPPYGJjKVco

50

Additive vs substractive colour mixing

• Additive colour mixing, like on a TV or using combining the light from several
flashlights. Every extra light is added, so more light. Adding red to blue to green
light gives white light.

• Subtractive colour mixing, like when using paint or a printer. Every added paint
removes more light, so the resulting light becomes more restrictive every time. In
an ideal world adding all pigments will give you black, though in reality if ends up
being some sort of brown.

51

17
 7/28/22

Dichromatic Colour Vision “Colour Blind”

• Mammals (i.e. dogs, cows) in
general are dichromatic.
•Trichromatic vision as humans
have it, is a feature of primates.
•10% of all X chromosomes have
either a defective L- or M-cone.
•10% of the male and 0.5% of
female population
•Dichromats can distinguish
red vs. blue.
•Distinguishing purple from
green/cyan is difficult.

52

So what is Dichromatic colour vision like?

53

Surviving in a tree is a bit harder.

54

18
 7/28/22

Ishihara colour test plates

55

Can anybody read this image?

56

Can anybody read this image?

57

19
 7/28/22

How to make test plates

•A random pattern of gray level dots is first put together.

•A digit pattern is then added which is defined by

yellow/blue variation only. Since most people with
red/green deficiency can see yellow/blue they will be able
to see the digit 5 in this test pattern.

•Add another digit pattern: this time defined by

red/green variation.

•Finally all three are added: People with red/green

deficiency will not be able to see the red/green pattern
and will see the 5. People with normal vision could see
both the patterns, but since the red/green is stronger than
the yellow/blue, the normal person will see the digit 6.

58

Colour is more than just cone ratios

59

So what about brown?

60

20
 7/28/22

61

62

Opponent-Process Theory

Ò Opponent-Process Theory
color is determined by outputs of two
different continuously variable channels:
Ð red - green opponent channel

Ð blue - yellow opponent channel

Ð Luminance is a third channel

Ð This agrees well with perception and derived colour
spaces, also explains colour afterimages, direction of
colour surround effect.

63

21
 7/28/22

How opponent colours and cones work

Ò Red green channel: L-M cones, P-system.

Ò Blue yellow channel: S – (M+L) cones, K

system.

Ò Luminance channel: L+M cones, P & M

systems.

64

Pathway Specialisation – Functional and Behavioral Characteristics

Parvo (Midget, Small), Magno (Parasol, Big) and Konio Ganglion Cells

Characteristics Parvo Path Magno Path Konio Path

Proportion of all ganglion cells 80% 10% Less then 10%
in the retina
Cell size Small Large Small in LGN
Conduction velocity Slow Fast Slow/variable
Spatial resolution High Low Moderate
Temporal resolution Low High High
Contrast sensitivity Low Good Modest
Receiving input from: distinguishes sum of S, L & M cones
L & M cones L & M cones

Remember this slide?

65

65

So is this all we need to know about colour?

Well there is a big problem we have been ignoring!

66

22
 7/28/22

So what happens if the light is not white?

67

68

So what happens if the light is not white?

So in the evening a gray object should look red/brown.

69

23
 7/28/22

Different sources of illumination

70

A difference like day and night…

relative energy

wavelength

Different light sources such as daylight, florescent light and

incandescent light are very different in their spectra.

71

Reflected light is NOT constant.

72

24
 7/28/22

73

74

An orange (fruit…) will activate DIFFERENT

cone ratios in different lightening conditions,
yet it will almost always look ORANGE.

75

25
 7/28/22

Colour constancy

76

77

So how does colour constancy work? Magic?

Ò The visual system needs to determine (guess…) the

composition of the incoming light.
Ò The best way to do this would be if there is a white
surface present and the visual system would know
that.
Ò The details are complex and still a matter of debate, but
in natural environments there are different colours
present.
Ò The visual system normalises each channel (luminance,
red-green, blue-yellow) to match the present range.
Ò But the visual system is also aware of changes in
lightening across the scene.

78

26
 7/28/22

Questions ?:

Ò The L-cone photorecptor looks bluish green.

Why?

79

27