Which theory explains the processing of color vision?

The opponent process theory is a robust explanation for the processing of color vision, complementing the earlier trichromatic theory. This theory proposes that our visual system interprets colors in terms of opposing pairs: red versus green, blue versus yellow, and black versus white. It suggests that when one color in a pair is stimulated, the other is inhibited. For instance, if you focus on a red object, the red receptors are activated while the green receptors are suppressed, leading to the perception of red.

This theory effectively accounts for phenomena such as afterimages and color blindness associated with specific colors. For example, if you stare at a bright red image for a while and then look at a white surface, you will often see a green afterimage, which illustrates the opponent process mechanism.

While the trichromatic theory explains how color is initially detected by the three types of cones in the retina (sensitive to red, green, and blue light), the opponent process theory describes how that information is processed at the level of neurons in the retina and beyond. This two-tiered approach of color vision explains how we perceive a wide range of colors and how visual perception adjusts and compensates for variations in light and surroundings, thus emphasizing the importance of the opponent