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Yu N, Ouyang Z. Effects of background colour, polarity, and saturation on digital icon status recognition and visual search performance. ERGONOMICS 2024; 67:433-445. [PMID: 37376815 DOI: 10.1080/00140139.2023.2226849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
Visual design form is an important factor affecting users' cognition of icons, which plays an important role in visual search and the perception of the status shown by icons. In the graphical user interface, the icon colour is regularly used to indicate the running state of a function. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of icon colour features on user perception and visual search performance under different background colours. There were three independent variables in the study, including background colour (white and black), icon polarity (positive and negative), and icon saturation (60, 80, and 100%). Thirty-one participants were recruited for the experiment. Task performance and eye movement results indicated that white background as well as positive polarity and 80% saturation icons brought the best performances. The findings of this study provide useful guidelines for designing more efficient and user-friendly icons and interfaces in the future.Practitioner summary: This study was to investigate the effects of icon colour features (polarity and saturation) on user perception and visual search performance under different colour backgrounds. Task performance and eye movement results indicated that white background as well as positive polarity and 80% saturation icons brought the best performances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Yu
- College of Furnishings and Industrial Design, Co-Innovation Center of Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Resources, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
| | - Ziwei Ouyang
- College of Art and Design, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
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2
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Wolffsohn JS, Lingham G, Downie LE, Huntjens B, Inomata T, Jivraj S, Kobia-Acquah E, Muntz A, Mohamed-Noriega K, Plainis S, Read M, Sayegh RR, Singh S, Utheim TP, Craig JP. TFOS Lifestyle: Impact of the digital environment on the ocular surface. Ocul Surf 2023; 28:213-252. [PMID: 37062428 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtos.2023.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/18/2023]
Abstract
Eye strain when performing tasks reliant on a digital environment can cause discomfort, affecting productivity and quality of life. Digital eye strain (the preferred terminology) was defined as "the development or exacerbation of recurrent ocular symptoms and/or signs related specifically to digital device screen viewing". Digital eye strain prevalence of up to 97% has been reported, due to no previously agreed definition/diagnostic criteria and limitations of current questionnaires which fail to differentiate such symptoms from those arising from non-digital tasks. Objective signs such as blink rate or critical flicker frequency changes are not 'diagnostic' of digital eye strain nor validated as sensitive. The mechanisms attributed to ocular surface disease exacerbation are mainly reduced blink rate and completeness, partial/uncorrected refractive error and/or underlying binocular vision anomalies, together with the cognitive demand of the task and differences in position, size, brightness and glare compared to an equivalent non-digital task. In general, interventions are not well established; patients experiencing digital eye strain should be provided with a full refractive correction for the appropriate working distances. Improving blinking, optimizing the work environment and encouraging regular breaks may help. Based on current, best evidence, blue-light blocking interventions do not appear to be an effective management strategy. More and larger clinical trials are needed to assess artificial tear effectiveness for relieving digital eye strain, particularly comparing different constituents; a systematic review within the report identified use of secretagogues and warm compress/humidity goggles/ambient humidifiers as promising strategies, along with nutritional supplementation (such as omega-3 fatty acid supplementation and berry extracts).
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Affiliation(s)
- James S Wolffsohn
- College of Health & Life Sciences, School of Optometry, Aston University, Birmingham, UK; Department of Ophthalmology, New Zealand National Eye Centre, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
| | - Gareth Lingham
- Centre for Eye Research Ireland, Technological University Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Laura E Downie
- Department of Optometry and Vision Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Byki Huntjens
- Division of Optometry and Visual Sciences, City, University of London, EC1V 0HB, UK
| | - Takenori Inomata
- Department of Ophthalmology, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Saleel Jivraj
- College of Health & Life Sciences, School of Optometry, Aston University, Birmingham, UK
| | | | - Alex Muntz
- Department of Ophthalmology, New Zealand National Eye Centre, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Karim Mohamed-Noriega
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine, Autonomous University of Nuevo León (UANL). Monterrey, 64460, Mexico
| | - Sotiris Plainis
- College of Health & Life Sciences, School of Optometry, Aston University, Birmingham, UK; Laboratory of Optics and Vision, School of Medicine, University of Crete, Greece
| | - Michael Read
- Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Rony R Sayegh
- Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Sumeer Singh
- Department of Optometry and Vision Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Tor P Utheim
- Department of Ophthalmology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Jennifer P Craig
- College of Health & Life Sciences, School of Optometry, Aston University, Birmingham, UK; Department of Ophthalmology, New Zealand National Eye Centre, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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Li Y, Huang Y, Li X, Ma J, Zhang J, Li J. The influence of brightness combinations and background colour on legibility and subjective preference under negative polarity. ERGONOMICS 2022; 65:1046-1056. [PMID: 34856871 DOI: 10.1080/00140139.2021.2013546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
This study explores the influence of colour combinations on legibility and aesthetic feelings for the currently popular negative polarity interface design. Legibility was measured in two different ways in two tasks: time threshold (Task I) and a 9-point subjective rating (Task II). In Task I, we combined an adaptive program to measure 37 participants' recognition thresholds and online pseudo-word recognition tasks; in Task II, 44 participants' subjective preferences were measured using a scale. We found that higher brightness contrasts led to better legibility; different background colours with identical brightness and saturation did not cause significant differences; brighter texts produced better subjective preference for aesthetic appearance, legibility, and visual comfort; and different background colours had no significant effect on subjective preference. These findings have implications for digital interface design. Practitioner summary: In display design under negative polarity, experimental results show that higher brightness contrast leads to higher legibility, while background colour has no such significant effect; background brightness and hue have no significant effect on subjective preference, but text brightness and background colour have significant interaction effect on subjective preference. Abbreviations: OLED: organic light-emitting diode; LCD: liquid crystal display; ANOVA: analysis of variance; VDT: visual displsy terminal; CET-4: college english test band 4; ISO: International Organization for Standardization; HSB: hues saturation brightness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yibin Li
- Key Laboratory of Mechanism Theory and Equipment Design of Ministry of Education, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Yanqun Huang
- Key Laboratory of Mechanism Theory and Equipment Design of Ministry of Education, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Xu Li
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Tianjin Polytechnic University, Tianjin, China
| | - Jian Ma
- Key Laboratory of Mechanism Theory and Equipment Design of Ministry of Education, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Jie Zhang
- Tianjin Sino-German University of Applied Sciences, Tianjin, China
| | - Jutao Li
- Key Laboratory of Mechanism Theory and Equipment Design of Ministry of Education, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
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Shah A, Iyengar K, Botchu R. Gray scale inversion imaging (GSI) in Trauma and Orthopaedics. J Orthop 2022; 30:62-65. [PMID: 35241890 PMCID: PMC8858871 DOI: 10.1016/j.jor.2022.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2022] [Revised: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/12/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Radiology plays a crucial part in the diagnosis and management of patients. Several techniques have been used to decrease the diagnostic error rate. We discuss the concept, use and advantages of grayscale inversion imaging in orthopedics.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. Shah
- Department of Musculoskeletal Radiology, Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, Birmingham, UK
| | - K.P. Iyengar
- Department of Orthopedics, Southport and Ormskirk, Southport, UK
| | - R. Botchu
- Department of Musculoskeletal Radiology, Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, Birmingham, UK,Corresponding author. Department of Musculoskeletal Radiology, The Royal Orthopedic Hospital, Bristol Road South, Northfield, Birmingham, UK.
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Rau PLP, Zheng J, Guo Z. Immersive reading in virtual and augmented reality environment. INFORMATION AND LEARNING SCIENCES 2021. [DOI: 10.1108/ils-11-2020-0236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate “immersive reading,” which occurs when individuals read text while in a virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR) environment.
Design/methodology/approach
In Experiment 1, 64 participants read text passages and answered multiple-choice questions in VR and AR head-mounted displays (HMDs) compared with doing the same task on liquid crystal display (LCD). In Experiment 2, 31 participants performed the same reading tasks but with two VR HMDs of different display quality.
Findings
Compared with reading on LCD as the baseline, participants reading in VR and AR HMDs got 82% (VR) and 88% (AR) of the information accurately. Participants tended to respond more accurately and faster, though not statistically significant, with the VR HMD of higher pixel density in the speed-reading task.
Originality/value
The authors observed the speed and accuracy of reading in VR and AR environments, compared with the reading speed and accuracy on an LCD monitor. The authors also compared the reading performance on two VR HMDs that differed in display quality but were otherwise similar in every way.
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Pan J, Sheu J, Massimo L, Scott KR, Phillips AW. Learning Experience Design in Health Professions Education: A Conceptual Review of Evidence for Educators. AEM EDUCATION AND TRAINING 2021; 5:e10505. [PMID: 33898909 PMCID: PMC8052999 DOI: 10.1002/aet2.10505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2020] [Revised: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 07/08/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The increasing use of online resources in emergency medicine (EM) education has driven demand for higher quality resources. Learning experience design (LED) is the study of how electronic user interfaces impact learner outcomes. We sought to summarize the evidence for LED principles to inform creation of EM educational resources. METHODS We performed scripted searches of MeSH terms, PubMed keywords, and hand tracings. Inclusion criteria were controlled studies using light-emitting diode or liquid crystal display monitors with Latin-based languages. Cathode ray tube (CRT) monitors were excluded because of the user experience confounders. RESULTS Thirty-two articles met inclusion criteria. Overall, 14-point size significantly improved legibility compared to smaller font sizes. Similarly, Verdana and Arial typefaces significantly improved legibility compared to Times New Roman typeface. Verdana also significantly decreased subjective mental workload and visibility difficulty ratings and required the least eye movement of any typefaces tested. Positive polarity (dark text on light background) significantly improved reading outcomes across many measurements over negative polarity. There was higher character identification accuracy with higher luminance. Text effects (e.g., italics), interword and interletter spacing, and page presentation are among variables with mixed or minimal evidence. CONCLUSION Learning experience design principles significantly impacted reading and learning outcomes in laboratory settings. No studies evaluated classroom outcomes. Recommendations for electronic learning environments are 14-point font with Verdana or Arial typeface with positive polarity (dark letters on light background). We recommend increasing screen brightness slightly. EM educators may significantly improve the speed and accuracy of learning written material by espousing evidence-based LED principles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joann Pan
- From theBaylor College of MedicineHoustonTXUSA
| | | | - Lauren Massimo
- theUniversity of North Carolina HospitalsChapel HillNCUSA
| | - Kevin R Scott
- thePerelman School of Medicine at the University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPAUSA
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7
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Abstract
The pupil responds reflexively to changes in brightness and focal distance to maintain the smallest pupil (and thus the highest visual acuity) that still allows sufficient light to reach the retina. The pupil also responds to a wide variety of cognitive processes, but the functions of these cognitive responses are still poorly understood. In this review, I propose that cognitive pupil responses, like their reflexive counterparts, serve to optimize vision. Specifically, an emphasis on central vision over peripheral vision results in pupil constriction, and this likely reflects the fact that central vision benefits most from the increased visual acuity provided by small pupils. Furthermore, an intention to act with a bright stimulus results in preparatory pupil constriction, which allows the pupil to respond quickly when that bright stimulus is subsequently brought into view. More generally, cognitively driven pupil responses are likely a form of sensory tuning: a subtle adjustment of the eyes to optimize their properties for the current situation and the immediate future. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Vision Science, Volume 6 is September 15, 2020. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastiaan Mathôt
- Department of Psychology, University of Groningen, 9712TS Groningen, The Netherlands;
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8
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Mathôt S, Ivanov Y. The effect of pupil size and peripheral brightness on detection and discrimination performance. PeerJ 2019; 7:e8220. [PMID: 31875153 PMCID: PMC6925951 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.8220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2019] [Accepted: 11/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
It is easier to read dark text on a bright background (positive polarity) than to read bright text on a dark background (negative polarity). This positive-polarity advantage is often linked to pupil size: A bright background induces small pupils, which in turn increases visual acuity. Here we report that pupil size, when manipulated through peripheral brightness, has qualitatively different effects on discrimination of fine stimuli in central vision and detection of faint stimuli in peripheral vision. Small pupils are associated with improved discrimination performance, consistent with the positive-polarity advantage, but only for very small stimuli that are at the threshold of visual acuity. In contrast, large pupils are associated with improved detection performance. These results are likely due to two pupil-size related factors: Small pupils increase visual acuity, which improves discrimination of fine stimuli; and large pupils increase light influx, which improves detection of faint stimuli. Light scatter is likely also a contributing factor: When a display is bright, light scatter creates a diffuse veil of retinal illumination that reduces perceived image contrast, thus impairing detection performance. We further found that pupil size was larger during the detection task than during the discrimination task, even though both tasks were equally difficult and similar in visual input; this suggests that the pupil may automatically assume an optimal size for the current task. Our results may explain why pupils dilate in response to arousal: This may reflect an increased emphasis on detection of unpredictable danger, which is crucially important in many situations that are characterized by high levels of arousal. Finally, we discuss the implications of our results for the ergonomics of display design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastiaan Mathôt
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Yavor Ivanov
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands.,Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Noord Holland, Netherlands.,Institute for Brain and Behavior, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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9
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Calabrèse A, Cheong AMY, Cheung SH, He Y, Kwon M, Mansfield JS, Subramanian A, Yu D, Legge GE. Baseline MNREAD Measures for Normally Sighted Subjects From Childhood to Old Age. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2017; 57:3836-43. [PMID: 27442222 PMCID: PMC4961000 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.16-19580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose The continuous-text reading-acuity test MNREAD is designed to measure the reading performance of people with normal and low vision. This test is used to estimate maximum reading speed (MRS), critical print size (CPS), reading acuity (RA), and the reading accessibility index (ACC). Here we report the age dependence of these measures for normally sighted individuals, providing baseline data for MNREAD testing. Methods We analyzed MNREAD data from 645 normally sighted participants ranging in age from 8 to 81 years. The data were collected in several studies conducted by different testers and at different sites in our research program, enabling evaluation of robustness of the test. Results Maximum reading speed and reading accessibility index showed a trilinear dependence on age: first increasing from 8 to 16 years (MRS: 140–200 words per minute [wpm]; ACC: 0.7–1.0); then stabilizing in the range of 16 to 40 years (MRS: 200 ± 25 wpm; ACC: 1.0 ± 0.14); and decreasing to 175 wpm and 0.88 by 81 years. Critical print size was constant from 8 to 23 years (0.08 logMAR), increased slowly until 68 years (0.21 logMAR), and then more rapidly until 81 years (0.34 logMAR). logMAR reading acuity improved from −0.1 at 8 years to −0.18 at 16 years, then gradually worsened to −0.05 at 81 years. Conclusions We found a weak dependence of the MNREAD parameters on age in normal vision. In broad terms, MNREAD performance exhibits differences between three age groups: children 8 to 16 years, young adults 16 to 40 years, and middle-aged to older adults >40 years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurélie Calabrèse
- Department of Psychology University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
| | - Allen M Y Cheong
- School of Optometry, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong, China
| | - Sing-Hang Cheung
- Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yingchen He
- Department of Psychology University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
| | - MiYoung Kwon
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States
| | - J Stephen Mansfield
- Department of Psychology, SUNY College at Plattsburgh, Plattsburgh, New York, United States
| | - Ahalya Subramanian
- Division of Optometry and Visual Science, City University London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Deyue Yu
- College of Optometry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States
| | - Gordon E Legge
- Department of Psychology University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
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Dobres J, Chahine N, Reimer B. Effects of ambient illumination, contrast polarity, and letter size on text legibility under glance-like reading. APPLIED ERGONOMICS 2017; 60:68-73. [PMID: 28166901 DOI: 10.1016/j.apergo.2016.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2016] [Revised: 09/27/2016] [Accepted: 11/04/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Recent research on the legibility of digital displays has demonstrated a "positive polarity advantage", in which black-on-white text configurations are more legible than their negative polarity, white-on-black counterparts. Existing research in this area suggests that the positive polarity advantage stems from the brighter illumination emitted by positive polarity displays, as opposed to the darker backgrounds of negative polarity displays. In the present study, legibility thresholds were measured under glance-like reading conditions using a lexical decision paradigm, testing two type sizes, display polarities, and ambient illuminations (near-dark and daylight-like). Results indicate that legibility thresholds, quantified as the amount of time needed to read a word accurately, were highest for the negative polarity configurations under dark ambient illumination, indicated worse performance. Conversely, the positive polarity conditions under dark ambient illumination and all conditions under bright illumination demonstrated significantly reduced thresholds, indicating greater legibility. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that the "positive polarity advantage" arises because brighter illumination produces pupillary contraction that reduces optical aberrations as light enters the eye. These results have implications for the design of automotive interfaces and other scenarios in which an interface must be optimized for glance-like reading under variations in ambient lighting conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Dobres
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology AgeLab and New England University Transportation Center, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, E40-209, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States.
| | - Nadine Chahine
- Monotype Imaging, Inc., 600 Unicorn Park Drive, Woburn, MA 01801, United States.
| | - Bryan Reimer
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology AgeLab and New England University Transportation Center, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, E40-209, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States.
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Wolfe B, Dobres J, Kosovicheva A, Rosenholtz R, Reimer B. Age-related differences in the legibility of degraded text. COGNITIVE RESEARCH-PRINCIPLES AND IMPLICATIONS 2017; 1:22. [PMID: 28180173 PMCID: PMC5256463 DOI: 10.1186/s41235-016-0023-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2016] [Accepted: 10/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Aging-related changes in the visual system diminish the capacity to perceive the world with the ease and fidelity younger adults are accustomed to. Among many consequences of this, older adults find that text that they could once read easily proves difficult to read, even with sufficient acuity correction. Building on previous work examining visual factors in legibility, we examine potential causes for these age-related effects in the absence of other ocular pathology. We asked participants to discriminate words from non-words in a lexical decision task. The stimuli participants viewed were either blurred or presented in a noise field to simulate, respectively, decreased sensitivity to fine detail (loss of acuity) and detuning of visually selective neurons. We then use the differences in performance between older and younger participants to suggest how older participants’ performance could be approximated to facilitate maximally usable designs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Wolfe
- AgeLab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave, E40-278, Cambridge, MA 02139 USA
| | - Jonathan Dobres
- AgeLab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave, E40-278, Cambridge, MA 02139 USA
| | - Anna Kosovicheva
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115 USA
| | - Ruth Rosenholtz
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave, 32-D532, Cambridge, MA 02139 USA
| | - Bryan Reimer
- AgeLab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave, E40-278, Cambridge, MA 02139 USA
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Dobres J, Chahine N, Reimer B, Gould D, Mehler B, Coughlin JF. Utilising psychophysical techniques to investigate the effects of age, typeface design, size and display polarity on glance legibility. ERGONOMICS 2016; 59:1377-1391. [PMID: 26727912 PMCID: PMC5213401 DOI: 10.1080/00140139.2015.1137637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2015] [Accepted: 12/26/2015] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Psychophysical research on text legibility has historically investigated factors such as size, colour and contrast, but there has been relatively little direct empirical evaluation of typographic design itself, particularly in the emerging context of glance reading. In the present study, participants performed a lexical decision task controlled by an adaptive staircase method. Two typefaces, a 'humanist' and 'square grotesque' style, were tested. Study I examined positive and negative polarities, while Study II examined two text sizes. Stimulus duration thresholds were sensitive to differences between typefaces, polarities and sizes. Typeface also interacted significantly with age, particularly for conditions with higher legibility thresholds. These results are consistent with previous research assessing the impact of the same typefaces on interface demand in a simulated driving environment. This simplified methodology of assessing legibility differences can be adapted to investigate a wide array of questions relevant to typographic and interface designs. Practitioner Summary: A method is described for rapidly investigating relative legibility of different typographical features. Results indicate that during glance-like reading induced by the psychophysical technique and under the lighting conditions considered, humanist-style type is significantly more legible than a square grotesque style, and that black-on-white text is significantly more legible than white-on-black.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Dobres
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology AgeLab, New England University Transportation Center, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Bryan Reimer
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology AgeLab, New England University Transportation Center, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Bruce Mehler
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology AgeLab, New England University Transportation Center, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Joseph F. Coughlin
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology AgeLab, New England University Transportation Center, Cambridge, MA, USA
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13
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Abstract
We examined how letter legibility is affected by letter design features (size, contrast, font-type, and complexity), and how this changes with age (by comparing younger [ N = 54] and older participants [ N = 54]). Types of letters in the study were Japanese characters, Latin alphabets, and digits. Participants verbally reported the letter presented on a Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) display in natural viewing conditions. The legible-contrast threshold was calculated as the contrast boundary of 50% correct answer. We found that letter complexity (i.e., number of strokes) did not affect legible contrast threshold, except for small (<0.35°) letters. Moreover, letter size even affected the threshold with a function similar but not identical to contrast sensitivity function. This supports the previous hypothesis proposed by Majaj et al. that optimal spatial frequency band exists for letter identification and shifts with its size. Another novel finding was the effect of aging on the legible-contrast threshold and how it related to other letter features. Constant aging effect on legible-contrast was found across letter sizes. Among older adults, the legible-contrast thresholds were 1.2 to 2 times those of younger adults. Moreover, the aging effects were greater for positive-contrast than for negative.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junji Ohyama
- National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba City, Japan
| | - Ken Sagawa
- National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba City, Japan
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Piepenbrock C, Mayr S, Buchner A. Smaller pupil size and better proofreading performance with positive than with negative polarity displays. ERGONOMICS 2014; 57:1670-1677. [PMID: 25135324 DOI: 10.1080/00140139.2014.948496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The 'positive polarity advantage' describes the fact that reading performance is better for dark text on light background (positive polarity) than for light text on dark background (negative polarity). We investigated the underlying mechanism by assessing pupil size and proofreading performance when reading positive and negative polarity texts. In particular, we tested the display luminance hypothesis which postulates that the typically greater brightness of positive compared to negative polarity displays leads to smaller pupil sizes and, hence, a sharper retinal image and better perception of detail. Indeed, pupil sizes were smaller and proofreading performance was better with positive than with negative polarity displays. The results are compatible with the hypothesis that the positive polarity advantage is an effect of display luminance. Limitations of the study are being discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cosima Piepenbrock
- a Department of Experimental Psychology, Institut für Experimentelle Psychologie , Heinrich-Heine-Universität , Düsseldorf , Germany
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