Hue discrimination and light sources

Abstract

Eight experiments are briefly described in which the influence of lamp type, illuminance and subject's age and experience on the performance of the Farnsworth-Munsell 100 hue test were examined. Statistical analysis showed that either the CIE gamut area or the colour rendering index of the lamp type could be used as an approximate predictor of the level of performance on the test; the larger the CIE gamut area or the higher the colour rendering index, the better the performance. Compared with the effect of lamp type the influence of illuminance was small, the only significant effect being an improvement in performance at higher illuminances for the older age group. Age itself had a large effect. The older age group consistently produced much worse performances than the young or middle age groups. Experience was not found to be a significant factor.