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Color of computer display frame in work performance, mood, and physiological response
Takeshi I Hatta1, Hirotaka Yoshida, Ayako Kawakami
1School of Informatics and Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya City, Japan. thatta@info.human.nagoya-u.ac.jp
Perceptual and Motor Skills
|March 9, 2002
Summary
Computer screen color impacts work performance. Red monitors hindered low-demand tasks, while blue monitors impaired high-demand tasks, but neither affected mood or heart rate.
Area of Science:
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Environmental Psychology
- Cognitive Psychology
Background:
- Environmental cues, such as color, can influence human behavior and performance.
- Understanding how visual stimuli from computer displays affect users is crucial for optimizing work environments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of personal computer screen color on work performance, psychological mood, and autonomic responses.
- To determine if red, blue, or beige monitor colors differentially impact visual task completion.
Main Methods:
- 24 subjects performed visual cognitive tasks on computer monitors of red, blue, and beige colors.
- Work performance was measured through task completion.
- Psychological mood and heart rate were assessed using the Japanese Stress Arousal Check List and heart rate monitoring, respectively, before and after tasks.
Main Results:
- Red monitors significantly reduced visual task performance on low-demand tasks compared to blue monitors.
- Blue monitors significantly decreased visual task performance on high-demand tasks compared to other colors.
- Monitor color did not have a significant effect on mood or heart rate.
Conclusions:
- Screen color can influence cognitive task performance, with effects varying based on task demand.
- While screen color impacts performance, it does not appear to affect immediate mood or physiological arousal.
- Further research is needed to explore the broader implications of environmental color cues on work productivity.