Evaluation of Changes in Psychophysical Performance during the Afternoon Drop off in Work Capacity after the Exposure to Specific Color of Light

Abstract

The aim of the study was to define whether changes in psychophysical performance will occur after the exposure to light of a specific color during the early afternoon decrease in work capacity. The evaluation of psychophysical performance was carried out on a group of 50 subjects using the following tools: Grandjean Scale, Attention and Perceptiveness Test (TUS), and GONOGO test. The study was performed for exposure to reference light, white light enriched by blue light (WBL), and white light enriched by red light (WRL). The analysis of psychophysical performance results indicates the positive influence of a specific color of light on different factors of psychophysical performance. Exposure to WRL among participants from the 22–34 subgroup contributed to an increase in the number of correct tests and the speed of work as well as a decrease in the number of mistakes, less boredom, and higher performance. The exposure to WBL among participants from the 55+ subgroup decreased the number of mistakes and reduced the response time. The results are consistent with the outcomes of previous research carried out on an international level, confirming that blue and red light are effective at increasing psychophysical performance. It was demonstrated that the psychophysical performance increases also when blue or red light is a significant component in the spectrum of white light.