A measurement of the extent of the color-sensitive areas of the retina and of the wavelengths of light stimulating the respective receptor mechanisms

• Main Author: Rinde, Charles A.
• Format: Others
• Published: Scholarly Commons 1930
• Subjects: Retina; Color vision; Physical Sciences and Mathematics
• Online Access: https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/uop_etds/318; https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1317&context=uop_etds

The interest of the writer was directed toward the phenomena of color vision in 1927 as a result of attending concurrently two courses in the University of California touching upon the subject, but treating it quite differently with results far from mutually consistent. Prof. R. S. Minor, in his course on physical optics, discussed color vision from the physicist’s standpoint, making use of the Young-Helmholtz theory; while Prof. G. M. Stratton gave the psychological treatment, based upon the Ladd-Franklin theory, as a part of his general psychology. Several of the more obviously points of conflict impressed the writer so strongly that he was led to bring the matter to the attention of the professors concerned. At the resulting conference between the two, a number of demonstrative experiments were performed and from the discussion of these in terms of the various theories the writer profited much. However, many facts remained unreconciled, so the writer resolved to investigate the subject further should opportunity present itself. The following research is a beginning of that study.