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Updated: Jul 13, 2026

Visualizing Visual Adaptation
Published on: April 24, 2017
Do common mechanisms of adaptation mediate color discrimination and appearance? Contrast adaptation
James M Hillis1, David H Brainard
1Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA. j.mhillis@psy.gla.ac.uk
Abstract:
Are effects of background contrast on color appearance and sensitivity controlled by the same mechanism of adaptation? We examined the effects of background color contrast on color appearance and on color-difference sensitivity under well-matched conditions. We linked the data using Fechner's hypothesis that the rate of apparent stimulus change is proportional to sensitivity and examined a family of parametric models of adaptation. Our results show that both appearance and discrimination are consistent with the same mechanism of adaptation.
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