färgseendeanpassning

Färgseendeanpassning is a Swedish term that translates to color adaptation or chromatic adaptation. It refers to the process by which the human visual system adjusts its perception of colors to compensate for changes in the illumination of the environment. This phenomenon allows us to perceive the colors of objects as relatively constant despite variations in the light source, such as daylight, incandescent bulbs, or fluorescent lights. Without color adaptation, a white piece of paper would appear bluish under daylight and yellowish under an incandescent bulb.

The underlying mechanism of color adaptation is complex and not fully understood, but it is believed to involve changes in the sensitivity of the cone cells in the retina, as well as neural processes in the brain. When exposed to a particular light source for a period, the visual system recalibrates. For instance, if you spend time under a blue-tinted light, your visual system will adapt by reducing its sensitivity to blue light, making other colors appear more normal. When you then move to a neutral light, the colors might initially appear slightly reddish or yellowish until the adaptation reverses. This process is crucial for maintaining stable color perception in our daily lives.