Using Relative Visual Performance to Predict the Ability to Make Interpersonal Evaluations

Abstract

In research of lighting for pedestrians, many experiments have been conducted to determine how changes in lighting affect the ability to make interpersonal evaluations. Here we consider an alternative approach, predicting performance using a model - Relative Visual Performance. The results show that face evaluation ability is affected by adaptation luminance and also by personal characteristics; observer age and skin tone of the observed person. While 2 lx is sufficient for a young observer to evaluate a Caucasian face, the typical situation in laboratory trials, higher illuminances are needed for older observers and for darker skin tones.