The conceptual NCS: An empirical investigation

Abstract

AbstractTwo interesting features of the Natural Color System (NCS) are (a) the clear distinction made between the conceptual and atlas versions of the system and (b) the unique status attributed to the conceptual version. The latter finds expression in the claim that the system can be used without reference to atlas samples. In other words, it is claimed that subjects trained in the NCS perform with a high degree of accuracy in colour identification tasks using only their conceptual model for reference. The study reported here is a replication of experiments cited as support for this claim. Subjects were trained in the NCS using NCS training material and carried out colour‐identification tasks. For comparison, a further subject group was trained in the Munsell system and carried out identical tasks. The results indicated (a) a lower level of accuracy than previously reported for those subjects trained in the NCS and (b) little difference in performance between the NCS‐ and Munsell‐trained groups.