Absolute Identification Of Color For Targets Presented Against white And Colored Backgrounds
Report Number: WADD TR 60-611
Author(s): Bishop, Harold P., Crook, Mason N.
Corporate Author(s): Institute For Applied Experimental Psychology Tufts University
Laboratory: Behavioral Sciences Laboratory
Date of Publication: 1961-03
Pages: 48
Contract: AF 33(616)-5087
DoD Project: 7184
DoD Task: 71580
Identifier: AD0266403
Abstract:
The number of stimulus colors which can be absolutely identified by normal subjects when viewed against various colored backgrounds was investigated. Additive mixtures of light passed through narrow-band and Illuminant-C filters were projected onto a viewing screen by a device which permitted independent control of target and background characteristics. The stimulus parameters of hue, luminance, purity, target size, and target shape were varied, and the effects of such factors as training and the presence of a distracting task were studied. With target luminance above background luminance, about nine hues plus white, three luminance levels, and two purity levels, are estimated to be useful for operational coding, if no more than about 30 of the possible combinations are included in the set. Under optimal working conditions and with protracted training, the maximum size of an identifiable set is estimated to be about 60. Reduction of target luminance below the luminance of a colored background was found to make identification very difficult. No significant effect of target shape was found.
Provenance: IIT
Author(s): Bishop, Harold P., Crook, Mason N.
Corporate Author(s): Institute For Applied Experimental Psychology Tufts University
Laboratory: Behavioral Sciences Laboratory
Date of Publication: 1961-03
Pages: 48
Contract: AF 33(616)-5087
DoD Project: 7184
DoD Task: 71580
Identifier: AD0266403
Abstract:
The number of stimulus colors which can be absolutely identified by normal subjects when viewed against various colored backgrounds was investigated. Additive mixtures of light passed through narrow-band and Illuminant-C filters were projected onto a viewing screen by a device which permitted independent control of target and background characteristics. The stimulus parameters of hue, luminance, purity, target size, and target shape were varied, and the effects of such factors as training and the presence of a distracting task were studied. With target luminance above background luminance, about nine hues plus white, three luminance levels, and two purity levels, are estimated to be useful for operational coding, if no more than about 30 of the possible combinations are included in the set. Under optimal working conditions and with protracted training, the maximum size of an identifiable set is estimated to be about 60. Reduction of target luminance below the luminance of a colored background was found to make identification very difficult. No significant effect of target shape was found.
Provenance: IIT