Colour constancy from temporal cues: better matches with less variability under fast illuminant changes

To test whether temporal transient cues could improve colour-constancy esti mates, surface-colour matches were made across two Mondrian patterns illumi nated by different daylights: the patterns were presented either in the sam e position in an alternating sequence or, as a control, simultaneously side -by-side. The degree of colour constancy was significantly higher with sequ ential stimulus presentation than with simultaneous presentation, in the be st condition reaching 0.87 on a scale of 0 to 1 for matches averaged over 2 0 observers. The variance between observers was also markedly reduced with sequential stimulus presentation. The visual system appears to have mechani sms not requiring adaptation that can provide almost unbiased information a bout surface colour under changing illuminants. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science L td. All rights reserved.