The effect of space and color on judging speeds of traffic lights / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the effect of mental processing speeds of judging traffic lights varying in location and color meaning. Methods 20 healthy adult male (age 18 ～30 years) were enrolled in this study. By simulation of traffic lights as picture stimuli, all subjects performed a Go/NoGo task separately under normal condition, location-reversed condition, color meaning-reversed condition and both location and color meaning-reversed condition randomly. The accuracy rate and reaction time of the behavior task were quantified. Results The average accuracy rate of the four conditions was 99. 13% , no differences were found in different traffic light colors and different conditions. In the normal condition,the subjects' reaction time(ms) of traffic lights were as fallowings red light 491.59 ±71.74; green light 487.55 ±58. 11, no difference was found between the two traffic light colors (P=0.522). In the location-reversed condition, subjects' average reaction time(ms) was respectively for red light 606.29 ± 107.59, and green light 593.13 ± 102.45. In the color meaning-reversed condition, it was respectively for red light 572.08 ±78.75, and green light 592.43 ±87.58. Compared with the normal condition, subjects' reaction time was prolonged in the location-reversed condition (F(1,19)=59.77, P<0.01), and also in the color meaning-reversed condition (F(1,19) =52.55, P<0.01). When in the both location and color meaning-reversed condition, the subjects' reaction time (ms) of traffic lights was respectively 502.92 ± 65.27 for red light, and 508.97 ±63.40 for green light,the result came close to statistical significance(P= 0.065)compared with the normal condition. Conclusion A likely "conceptual constancy" is demonstrated on the basis of prolonging the brains' information processing when location and color information changes.