Those with normal colour vision should read the number 8. Those with red-green colour vision deficiencies should read the number 3. Total colour blindness should not be able to read any numeral.

As a child I was intrigued with the concept of colour. I would wonder if bulls really saw red capes, or if animals and birds saw in colour at all. I wondered if the blue colour I see is the same as what you call blue. Was the colour in the object or in the eye of the beholder?

Perception is an intriguing concept to consider. In part, it is enabled or limited by our physical structure. Those without retinal cones can’t see colour. The old black and white television operated without cone equivalents. The viewer could only adjust the brightness, not the colour. The tv couldn’t handle colour because it wasn’t wired for it. But part of our perception rests in what we select to pay attention to in our environment. We hear our child’s call in the night, but not the truck driving down the street outside our window. We see our street coming up at the next corner, but not the car stopping in front of us. We focus our attention on certain clues but not others. Furthermore, part of what we perceive is filtered through our past experience. We understand actions on the basis of our personal history. So was that stranger gazing at us or just staring off into space?

One aspect of parenting is to teach children how to interpret what they see. One purpose in education is to teach students what to look for. Perception and attribution go hand in hand. They are results of our experiencing a sensation, but distinct from it.

For Reflection:

• Think of a time when your perceptions were quite distinct from another person or group. How did this discrepancy occur?
• Do you believe that the media reflect news and events accurately? What factors play into their perspective?