The opponent process theory explains how opposing experiences are processed in the body, making it difficult to feel both at the same time. It is applied to color vision and emotions, and may play a role in addiction.
The opponent process theory is an explanation of how experiences of certain sensory and neurological phenomena are related to each other. Put simply, the body efficiently processes opposing experiences, such as fear and pleasure, at the same site, making it difficult for people to experience both at the same time. When stimulation at such a site evokes an experience, a person may experience an “afterimage” of the opposite experience after the stimulation has ended. Two areas where opponent process theory has been applied include understanding color vision and exploring the close connections between seemingly opposing feelings. This theory can also explain phenomena such as taste.
In understanding color vision, the opponent process theory is very important. Simply put, rods and cones perceive things in terms of black/white, red/green, and blue/yellow. When someone looks at a Red Delicious apple, for example, it stimulates the red/green cones. If someone stares at the apple for at least 30 seconds and then looks at a blank sheet of paper, they will see a ghostly green afterimage.
Opponent process theory explains why people don’t describe colors as “greenish-red” or “bluish-yellow,” but see colors as “yellowish-green.” Individual cones cannot process green and red at the same time, but the green/red and blue/yellow cones can be turned on at the same time. It also explains why some people are red/green colorblind, because the cones sensitized to these wavelengths don’t work properly or the brain is unable to receive signals from them.
This theory is also used to explain what happens when related emotions are triggered. A famous study involved military paratroopers. When the men first jumped out of the plane, they were terrified, with all the physical symptoms of fear. They felt a wave of relief as they landed. Over repeated exposures to the experience, the fear occurred in shorter and shorter durations, and the relief evolved into pleasure, transforming skydiving from a scary activity to an exciting one.
Some people may have noticed that when very intense feelings are evoked, they are followed by a longer, less intense emotion which may be in opposition. Sometimes this secondary emotion manifests itself before the first has completely dissipated, creating mixed feelings. Researchers have theorized that the opponent process theory may play a role in addiction, with people seeking drugs to get high in order to avoid the low. While the opponent process theory cannot fully explain the complex processes involved in addiction, it certainly can be a contributing factor.
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