Did I Really Fail the Color Vision Test?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around participants' experiences and scores from a color vision test. Participants share their results, thoughts on the test's validity, and the impact of testing conditions on their performance. The conversation includes personal anecdotes and reflections on color perception, with a focus on the subjective nature of the test.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express surprise at their scores, with varying results ranging from perfect to very low.
  • Several participants suggest that test conditions, such as lighting and monitor type, significantly affect scores.
  • There are claims that men may struggle more than women with distinguishing certain colors, particularly blue and green.
  • Some participants argue that the test may not accurately reflect color acuity due to its dependence on relative rather than absolute color values.
  • A few participants share techniques they used to improve their color differentiation, such as looking slightly off to the side or backing up to scan rows of colors.
  • There is a discussion about the perceived difficulty of the test and whether it measures persistence as much as color acuity.
  • Some participants report that their scores changed when retaking the test under different conditions or with more patience.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the validity of the test or the factors influencing their scores. Multiple competing views exist regarding the impact of testing conditions and the nature of color perception.

Contextual Notes

Participants mention various factors that could influence test outcomes, including monitor type (CRT vs. solid-state), lighting conditions, and personal experiences with color sensitivity. Some scores are noted to be unexpectedly high or low, raising questions about the test's scoring system.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be of interest to individuals curious about color vision testing, those who have experienced similar tests, or anyone interested in the subjective nature of color perception and its variability among individuals.

  • #31
I got a 4. Thought I was perfect.
 
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  • #32
23 here.

DaveC426913 said:
Actually, worst scores are in the 1000's.

I'll bet those are bogus or random, or people deliberately trying to get it wrong. Note the final score page considers 99 to be high.
 
  • #33
I took it again and got an 8 and I can't figure out what I got wrong.
 
  • #34
Chi Meson said:
I found that if you look a little off to the side, like looking for a faint star, I could determine the colors better. My center of vision started to jitter around on me.
I found the same thing. Scanning up and down the row just above or below it, without actually focusing on the row, seemed to make the odd balls jump out. I got a 3. :blushing:
 
  • #35
That's weird, I thought the look-to-the-side trick worked only for night time (non-color) vision. Color receptors are densest in the center of the field of vision ... I think.
 
  • #36
Redbelly98 said:
That's weird, I thought the look-to-the-side trick worked only for night time (non-color) vision. Color receptors are densest in the center of the field of vision ... I think.
It worked for me, I think, because I was sensing the difference in brightness. In each case the tones went from a lighter to darker color. At least it appeared so to me.
 
  • #37
Well, I believe you and Q_Goest. I'm just surprised ... and too lazy to arrange those blocks all over again and check it out for myself :biggrin:
 
  • #38
I got a perfect score, though had to tilt the monitor a bit to see the colors correctly. But, I'm also one of those people who can actually see the differences in colors among all those paint chips, when most people just look at them and say, "How many names do they have for one shade of beige?!" :biggrin:

DaveC426913 said:
Personally, I think it is as much a test of bloody-headed persistence as it is of colour acuity...

Really? I didn't think it took that long. Most were pretty easy to line up. Just a couple in the middles would get tough after staring at that row too long, but then I just jumped to the next row, let my eyes reset a bit, and went back and the outliers jumped out pretty quickly.
 
  • #39
Moonbear said:
I got a perfect score, though had to tilt the monitor a bit to see the colors correctly. But, I'm also one of those people who can actually see the differences in colors among all those paint chips, when most people just look at them and say, "How many names do they have for one shade of beige?!" :biggrin

What's perfect score?
 
  • #40
100, right?
 
  • #41
Wrong, guess again...
 
  • #42
tribdog said:
100, right?

I got >60.. and I thought I did better than people who got like <10. But seems like perfect is 0
 
  • #43
Redbelly98 said:
That's weird, I thought the look-to-the-side trick worked only for night time (non-color) vision. Color receptors are densest in the center of the field of vision ... I think.

Do you really need to know the colour to compare hues? While the colour receptors are densest at the fovea they are not as sensitive as rods.
 
  • #44
Kurdt said:
Do you really need to know the colour to compare hues? While the colour receptors are densest at the fovea they are not as sensitive as rods.

Makes sense.

tribdog said:
I took it again and got an 8 and I can't figure out what I got wrong.

Keep trying! I'm sure you'll get a perfect ... er, 100 ... eventually. :rolleyes:
 
  • #45
11 and my eyes are aching! If I tried again I would either go blind or get 100.
 
  • #46
rootX said:
What's perfect score?

0 wrong...but it just says something like, "Congratulations, you have perfect color vision," without giving a score. It takes some reading beyond that to learn that 0 = a perfect score.

I wonder how it scores though. If you just switch two blocks, is that one wrong or 2 wrong? Can you get only one wrong? Does it add points for how far off that one block is from the correct position?

I do know one thing for certain...I would never paint a house in greenish-pink or pinkish-green. :rolleyes: What a horrendous set of colors to have to start out with.
 
  • #47
Kurdt said:
Do you really need to know the colour to compare hues?
Perhaps this is your problem. Hues refer to colors. Tints and shades refer to lighter or darker (i.e., take the same color and add white or black to it). These weren't going from brighter to darker, they were blends of varying proportions of the two colors at either end of the palette provided.
 
  • #48
wow, i got a perfect score on the first try.

i do a lot of graphic design on my computer and have even made my own color wheels (so to speak) so i knew i was going to do well. i was just surprised that i was perfect.
 
  • #49
He he...104
 

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