Question

If you stare at the red, white and blue American flag for about forty seconds, then stare at a white sheet of paper you see a complementary, green, black and yellow flag. This is explained by which of the following theories?

a. the opponent-process theory
b. the subtractive mixture theory
c. the trichromatic theory
d. the additive mixture theory

Answer 1

The complementary colors seen after staring at the American flag and then looking at a white sheet of paper are explained by the opponent-process theory, which is based on the brain interpreting opposing color pairs.

Step-by-step explanation:

When you stare at the red, white, and blue American flag for about forty seconds, and then at a white sheet of paper, and see a complementary green, black, and yellow flag, this phenomenon is explained by the opponent-process theory.

The opponent-process theory suggests that color perception is controlled by the presence of different opposing color pairs: black-white, yellow-blue, and green red. Retinal ganglion cells that respond to one color of the pair increase their activity and then abruptly decrease upon looking at a neutral color, causing the brain to perceive the opposite color in the pair. Hence, after staring at the American flag and then looking away, one might see an afterimage in complementary colors.