Color vision screening without the use of technical equipment: Scale development and cross-validation

Abstract

Large-scale normative samples of data dealing with visual function and their relationships to individual difference variables are relatively scarce. This scarcity is, in part, due to the fact that data collection usually requires individual testing and the use of technical equipment and trained personnel rather than simple survey instruments. Using a sample of 175 individuals, we developed a self-report behavioral inventory, suitable for group testing or survey administration, to assess color vision, and validated it against laboratory tests. The inventory was then cross-validated in a separate sample of 596 subjects. The resultant brief 10-item scale was shown to be a valid and reliable predictor of color-vision deficit. Hit- and miss-rate tables were developed, and these are presented to allow investigators to select classification criteria appropriate for their purposes. A copy of the inventory and scoring procedure is appended to this report.