Chromatic induction in neon colour spreading

Abstract

Neon colour spreading occurs when sections of a lattice are replaced by segments of a different colour. This colour appears to diffuse out of the segments, and produce a slightly tinted transparent surface floating above the lattice. In two of the four experiments reported here, observers varied the colour of an area in a test display, until it matched the neon colour perceived in a corresponding (illusory) area in a comparison display. We found that the neon colour is an additive mixture of the colour of the segments and the colour complementary to the lattice, as suggested by Bressan (Vision Research 35 (1995) 375). In the other two experiments, we separately manipulated the presence and alignment of lattice and segments, to test whether the neon effect is fully predicted by a combination of colour diffusion and simultaneous colour contrast. We found that the colour induced in a neon figure is more saturated than the colour induced in a comparable non-neon figure. We discuss the implications of these results on our current understanding of the mechanisms of neon colour spreading.