A simple method for comparing peripheral and central color vision by means of two smartphones

Abstract

Information on peripheral color perception is far from being sufficient since it was predominantly obtained using small stimuli, limited ranges of eccentricities, and sophisticated experimental conditions. Our purpose was to consider a possibility of facilitating technical realization of the classical method of asymmetric color matching (ACM) developed by Moreland and Cruz (1959) for assessing appearance of color stimuli in the peripheral visual field (VF). We adopted the ACM method by employing two smartphones to implement matching procedure at various eccentricities. Although smartphones were successfully employed in vision studies, we are aware that some photometric parameters of smartphone displays are not sufficiently precise to ensure accurate color matching in foveal vision; moreover, certain technical characteristics of commercially available devices are variable. In the present study we provide evidence that, despite these shortages, smartphones can be applied for general and wide investigations of the peripheral vision. In our experiments, the smartphones were mounted on a mechanical perimeter to simultaneously present colored stimuli foveally and peripherally. Trying to reduce essential discomfort and fatigue experienced by most observers in peripheral vision studies, we did not apply bite bars, pupil dilatation, and Maxwellian view. The ACM measurements were performed without prior training of observers and in a wide range of eccentricities, varying between 0 and 95{degrees}. Color appearance was measured in the HSV color space coordinates as a function of eccentricity and stimulus luminance. We demonstrate that our easy-to-conduct method provides a reliable means to estimate color appearance in the peripheral vision and to assess inter-individual differences.