Color perception depends on age
Last reviewed: 07.06.2024
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Older people react less intensely to different color shades, unlike younger people.
Our color perception depends on many factors - in particular, on our individual chronotype, olfactory apparatus, time of year, region of residence. And, as it turns out, also on age. Representatives of the college at the University of London have determined the reaction of the visual organs of different-aged people to certain colors. The study involved 17 people in the middle age category of 27-28 years, as well as 20 people aged 64-65 years. All participants had no health problems, did not smoke or abuse alcohol. They were asked to go into a dark room that contained a screen that was periodically colored in different colors: red, reddish purple, blue, yellow, green, orange, and gray with many shades. Each color had differences in hue and degree of saturation.
Using the method of high-speed video shooting, experts evaluated the diametrical changes in the pupil of the participants - that is, the reaction of the eyes to a particular shade. It is known that constriction or dilation of the pupil occurs due to emotional outbursts, as well as from the change of the picture, which a person is looking closely at. Something similar is observed against the background of changes in perception of visual information.
Specialists noted that the pupils reacted to different degrees of screen illumination in approximately the same way, regardless of the age of the subjects. This cannot be said about the reaction to changes in color shades: here the eyes of elderly people were noticeably "behind". For example, the pupils of elderly participants reacted equally to dark-red and light-red shades, while in young people the reaction was different. Thus, the scientists traced different color perception, depending on age: we can say that over the years, the visual picture in front of people's eyes becomes "less colorful". Most likely, this explains the older people's greater desire for bright, "shouting" shades.
Experts suggest that the difference in color perception is related to age-related changes that affect the visual cortical areas of the brain. Certain types of senile dementia are characterized, among other things, by a loss of sensitivity to green and reddish-violet shades. It is possible that such a marker can be used in the future to conduct special tests to diagnose the initial development of neuropsychiatric disorders. It is important to note that weakening of color perception does not always indicate the rapid development of senile dementia.
Based on the fact that this study is only an initial study within the framework of the evaluation of age-related color perception, one can assume the prospect of such work and the need for additional clinical experiments.
The information is available at of the journal Scientific reports