Deficiencies in human neonates' color vision: photoreceptoral and neural explanations

Several photoreceptoral and neural models have been proposed to account for the development of human vision. To further evaluate those applicable to color vision, the present study examined 40 neonates' (mean age = 3.2 days) chromatic-achromatic discriminations in the mid-spectral region by using an habituation procedure and measures to minimize achromatic cues. Results indicated that newborns showed evidence of discriminating broad-band orange (lambda peak = 595 nm) but not yellow-green (lambda peak = 565 nm) lights from achromatic lights of varying luminance. Collectively, these and previous results imply that although newborns have at least dichromatic color vision, they possess relatively poor chromatic-achromatic discrimination in two spectral regions - in the short-wavelengths (including stimuli of 470-480 nm) and in the mid-wavelengths (including 565 nm). Although several hypotheses were considered, newborns' chromatic 'neutral zones' are best accounted for by models proposing that early color vision is limited by a general inefficiency of preneural (photoreceptoral and optical) mechanisms and/or by a selective immaturity of the SWS cones or the B/Y opponent channel.