When the Color We See Isn’t the Color We Remember

A new study proposes that the brain has trouble remembering exact qualities of colors in memories because it only processes a few basic colors, rather than a wider spectrum, combining them at various levels to form what is perceived as tints and hues. A joint-authored paper published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General details several experiments conducted using complex color hues wherein the subjects were challenged to find the exact tint from memory. General archetypes of colors reigned as common choices, appearing to be generalizations by the brain. “Trying to pick out a color for touch-ups, I’d end up making a mistake,” said the lead researcher. “This is because I’d misremember my wall as more prototypically blue. It could be a green as far as Sherwin-Williams is concerned, but I remember it as blue.” To learn more about this study, click here.