title: After-effects of TFT-LCD display polarity and display colour on the detection of low-contrast objects.
abstract: Participants performed a word-non-word discrimination task within a car control display emulated on a thin film transistor liquid-crystal display (TFT-LCD). The task simulated an information read-out from a TFT-LCD-based instrument panel. Subsequently, participants performed a low-contrast object detection task that simulated the detection of objects during night-time driving. In experiment 1, words/non-words were presented black-on-white (positive polarity) or white-on-black (negative polarity). In experiments 2 and 3, display colour was additionally manipulated. A positive polarity advantage in the discrimination task was consistently observed. In contrast, positive displays interfered more than negative displays with subsequent detection. The detrimental after-effect of positive polarity displays was strong with white and blue, reduced with amber and absent with red displays. Subjective measures showed a preference for blue over red, but a slight advantage for amber over blue. Implications for TFT-LCD design are derived from the results. STATEMENT OF RELEVANCE: When using TFT-LCDs as car instrument panels, positive polarity red TFT-LCDs are very likely to lead to good instrument readability while at the same time minimising - relative to other colours - the negative effects of an illuminated display on low-contrast object detection during night-time driving.
authors.affiliation: Heinrich-Heine-Universitat, Dusseldorf, Germany. susanne.mayr@uni-duesseldorf.de
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mayr
authors.forename: Axel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Buchner
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003116:Color; D055253:Color Vision / Q000502:physiology*; D015350:Contrast Sensitivity / Q000502:physiology*; D006804:Ergonomics / Q000295:instrumentation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D050866:Liquid Crystals; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055254:Night Vision / Q000502:physiology*; D011930:Reaction Time; D011932:Reading; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D055815:Young Adult