Guadalupe Martínez-Borreguero

Detection of Misconceptions about Colour and an Experimentally Tested Proposal to Combat them

We study the misconceptions about colour that most people hold, determining the general phenomenological laws that govern them. Concept mapping was used to combat the misconceptions which were found in the application of a test specifically designed to determine these misconceptions, while avoiding the possible misleading inductions that could have arisen from the use of everyday language. In particular, care was taken to avoid the distorting effect that the use of the verb ‘to be’ applied to coloured objects could have on the responses. The misconceptions found were shown to have an internal consistency in the form of authentic mini-theories (implicit theories). We compared experimentally the results of two different teaching methods applied to combat these misconceptions. This study was conducted with 470 undergraduates of the University of Extremadura. We analysed the persistence over time of their learning made to overcome those misconceptions. The students were divided randomly into an experimental group (EG) and a control group (CG). To combat their misconceptions, EG were taught following a method based on the use of concept maps, and CG were taught following traditional teaching methods. The results of a pre-test and a post-test were compared for the two groups, finding statistically significant differences. The results allowed the principal working hypothesis to be accepted—concept maps are learning tools which foster conceptual change and allow misconceptions to be eradicated via meaningful learning maintained over time, i.e. EG acquired a relative long-lasting gain in learning that was superior to that acquired by CG.

Optimization of the correlated color temperature of a light source for a better color discrimination

In a previous work [J. Opt. Soc. Am. A29, A209 (2012)], we presented a visual color discrimination experiment whose results established the existence of a relationship between the correlated color temperature (CCT) of a light source and the color discrimination capacities of the observers. The results indicated the existence of a statistically significant difference in the color discrimination of unequal sample pairs when using light sources of different color temperatures, with the discrimination capacity being greater the higher the light sources color temperature. That previous work employed an RGBA-LED light source configured with three color temperatures: 2800, 5000, and 6500 K. In order to go a further step in this line, this work expanded the range of color temperatures up to 9700 K. The results showed that there is an optimum CCT of around 5000 K at which observers were found to have a greater color discrimination capability.

Worldwide Uniformity of Color Reproduction in Handheld Video-Game Consoles and Applications

Portable video-game consoles are comparable in color reproduction to other digital chromatic stimuli generators such as personal computers equipped with CRT or TFT screens but with the advantage of having a defined hardware. Such is the case with the Nintendo DSi for which the user can only adjust the luminance on a five-level scale by software. If these devices were also shown to present similar color rendering values around the world, they would be a potentially truly useful tool for distributing color vision deficiency detection tests using this medium as physical support. The present study examines the variability of the color rendering of these devices purchased in different parts of the world.