Color Appearance in Peripheral Vision: Effects of Test Stimuli and Surround Luminance

• Published in: Journal of Light & Visual Environment Vol. 26; no. 3; pp. 3_9 - 3_18
• Main Authors: SAKURAI, Masato, KOSEKI, Takayuki, HAYASHI, Hirofumi, AYAMA, Miyoshi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: The Illuminating Engineering Institute of Japan 2002
• Subjects: achromatic surround; color zone map; equal brightness; equal luminance; peripheral vision; unique hue
• ISSN: 0387-8805; 1349-8398
• DOI: 10.2150/jlve.26.3_9

To determine the appropriate experimental conditions for measuring the color zone map covering the visual field, the color appearances of red, yellow, green, and blue lights of a CRT display presented across the horizontal meridian of the visual field were measured. The test stimulus settings were equal luminance and equal brightness at the fovea, with dark, gray, or white surround conditions. The perceived strength of the red, yellow, green, and blue hue components in the test stimuli decreased from the fovea to the periphery under all conditions. The luminance level of the test stimuli and the surround conditions did not significantly affect the results. All four of the unique-hue component curves as a function of the eccentricity normalized at the fovea were within the range of the data obtained in previous studies in which monochromatic lights were used as the test stimuli. These curves may thus not depend on whether the test stimulus is monochromatic or complex light. The recommended experimental conditions for measuring the color zone map are equal-luminance test stimuli (no need for brightness-matching testing) with a gray surround (more applicable to actual visual environments that a dark or white surround).