Sponsor
Portland State University. Department of Psychology
First Advisor
Gerald M. Murch
Term of Graduation
Summer 1975
Date of Publication
7-31-1975
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (M.S.) in Psychology
Department
Psychology
Language
English
Subjects
Color vision, Visual perception, Conditioned response
DOI
10.15760/etd.2416
Physical Description
1 online resource (iv, 40 pages)
Abstract
A model based on the laws of classical conditioning is posed as an explanation for the McCollough Effect, an orientation-specific color aftereffect. This model stands as an alternative to the color-coded edge detector hypothesis. Background and relevant issues are presented. Two experiments were performed. The first demonstrated that an auditory stimulus causes the effect to appear stronger to some subjects, a disinhibiting effect. It was also shown that some subjects experience spontaneous recovery of the effect after it has been extinguished.
The second experiment demonstrated that the after-colors will generalize to lines of varying orientation, including 45°. Subjects adapted to both red-vertical and green-horizontal lines saw mostly pink on test lines more than 30° off horizontal. Subjects adapted to red only or green only saw the appropriate after-colors on patterns of all orientations between 0° and 90°. These results conflict with the color-coded, edge detector theory and an explanation in terms of classical conditioning is offered.
Rights
In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).
Persistent Identifier
https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/15788
Recommended Citation
Lord, Andreas D., "A Conditioning Model for the McCollough Effect" (1975). Dissertations and Theses. Paper 2419.
https://doi.org/10.15760/etd.2416
Comments
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