Chromatic adaptation and color constancy: A possible dichotomy

Abstract Differences between chromatic adaptation and color constancy are discussed, in order to call into question the commonly held view that chromatic adaptation is the mechanism of color constancy. Whereas chromatic adaptation requires many seconds of time and occurs for simple visual scenes, color constancy asserts itself immediately and is most powerful in complex visual scenes. Furthermore, models of chromatic adaptation are not so illuminant invariant as other models of color vision. Therefore, a new operational foundation for color constancy is proposed, and existing non‐adaptation models of color constancy are enumerated for future tests.