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Synonyms

Canonical color; Diagnostic color

Definition

A memory color is the typical color of an object that an observer acquires through their experience with that object. For example, most people know that a ripe banana is typically yellow; this knowledge about the typical color constitutes a memory color.

Conceptual Clarifications

A memory color is an observer’s knowledge of a typical object color. The typicality of the memorized color implies that the observer considers the memory color to be representative or “canonical” for the range of colors, in which the respective object occurs. In this way, it determines the observer’s expectation about an object’s color based on her or his prior knowledge. For example, an observer that is only familiar with the yellowish color shades of the ripe common bananas (i.e. Cavendish bananas) would be surprised to encounter a Red Dacca banana because it is not in line with this observer memory color.

The concept of memory color is historically...

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Correspondence to Christoph Witzel .

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Witzel, C., Gegenfurtner, K. (2013). Memory Color. In: Luo, R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Color Science and Technology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27851-8_58-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27851-8_58-8

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Chapter history

  1. Latest

    Memory Color
    Published:
    03 December 2020

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27851-8_58-9

  2. Original

    Memory Color
    Published:
    29 September 2014

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27851-8_58-8