Variables in color perception of young children

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to make available information about young children's color perception within value, chroma, and hue variables. Most previous studies of children's color perception use only light, saturated focal colors. In this study, the Munsell color matrices are divided into nine combinations of low, medium, and high chroma and low, medium, and high value to investigate the effects of varying components of lightness and saturation within hues. Two levels of difficulty in six hues are measured: green, red, purple, blue, orange, and yellow. Results show that in order to predict a young child's discrimination ability, it is necessary to have value, chroma, and hue specified. While young children are found to be surprisingly skilled across all color discriminations, discriminations using low saturation and low lightness are most difficult and slowest, regardless of hue. Discriminations of middle and high saturation and lightness are easy and fastest. Differences in hue discrimination are least stable but generally, green and red are most difficult and slowest; orange and yellow are easiest and fastest. Error rate, but not latency, is lower under a feedback and correction condition than a reward-alone condition.