Abstract
Currently, display terminals have become widespread devices for presenting information and the rate of using smartphones and IPads as mobile terminals is increasing. Both the young and elderly use information technology terminals. However, the lens and cornea begin to yellow and darken, with aging eyes becoming less able to identify low-contrast color schemes from devices. This study investigates the effects of color schemes on the performance characteristics of the elderly. The tasks were composed of two eyesight conditions : hard-to-read and easy-to-read conditions. Concurrently, we performed NIRS, ECG, EOG, finger behaviors, reaction time, and subjective symptoms during the tasks. Additionally, we compared the differences between the visibility of the 70s and 20s. The following results were obtained from the tasks : no notable change between the two conditions in the subjective symptoms of the elderly was observed. Compared with the young people, the reaction time was significantly longer for the elderly because of difficulty in distinguishing the low-contrast color schemes. In the hard-to-read conditions, the amount of change in physiological indicators was larger than in the easy-to-read conditions. Therefore, we assert that the applicability of contrast affected the cognitive process and operational efficiency of the elderly. However, since age-related changes in autonomic nervous and cognitive and visual functions affect the psychophysiological states, the amount of change in the physiological indicators was smaller than those in the 20s.
