Field dependence, practice, and low illumination as related to the Farnsworth-Munsell 100-Hue Test

Abstract

36 soldiers were given the Farnsworth-Munsell 100-Hue Test to: (1) validate published research in which a field-independent group had been found to be superior to a field-dependent group in discriminating colors; (2) investigate unpublished findings in which substantial improvement had been shown in color discrimination performance over five trials of the 100-Hue test; and (3) determine the effect of low illumination (25 w, 40 w, and 60 w) on performance of the color discrimination task. A field-independent and a field-central group each performed significantly more accurately than a field-dependent group under all illumination conditions, and seven repeated administrations at 100 w resulted in significant improvements in performance. Color discrimination in the 25-w condition was significantly poorer than in the other illumination conditions. The implications are discussed.