The Impact of Different Color Temperatures and Sources of Light on Mood and Vision: Acuity and Color Recognition

Abstract

Background: Light is a physical factor that can influence the mood and vision of people during work and study. According to the importance of these physical factors, the present study aimed to investigate the effect of the source and color temperature on the mood and vision (acuity and color recognition) of students of TUMS and USWR medical universities. Methods: The present study is an applied study, and the research method is quasi-experimental. Twenty subjects were determined by first-type error (0.05) and test power (0.08). The mood was measured using the profile of mood states (POMS), visual acuity in different lighting conditions based on Snellen and FrACT methods, and color recognition by Ishihara’s test. Data were analyzed by SPSS 22, one-way ANOVA, and Greenhouse-Geisser. Results: The results of investigating six subscales of the POMS scale in sunlight, LED, and fluorescent with color temperatures of 4000 K and 3000 K indicated improvement in mood states (P < 0.001). Color recognition under different lighting conditions showed no significant difference (P < 0.05). However, visual acuity with the FrACT method under sunlight showed a significant difference in other lighting conditions (P < 0.001). Conclusions: Light sources can influence mood and vision states (acuity and color recognition) under different lighting conditions. Therefore, using sunlight in educational environments can improve the mood and state of students.