McCollough effect

noun

A phenomenon of human visual perception in which colorless gratings appear colored contingent on the orientation of the gratings.

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Meanings

nounMcCollough effect (plural McCollough effects)

plural McCollough effects

  1. A phenomenon of human visual perception in which colorless gratings appear colored contingent on the orientation of the gratings.

Origin

Named after American psychologist Celeste McCollough who discovered the effect in 1965.

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Cite this entry
APA

McCollough effect. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/McCollough%20effect

MLA

“McCollough effect.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/McCollough%20effect. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “McCollough effect,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/McCollough%20effect.

Source: McCollough effect on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.