Color memory matching: time effect and other factors

Abstract

The methods of simultaneous and successive, or memory, color matching have been compared for 10 color reference samples distributed in two groups each performed by 50 observers (25 men and 25 women). Our results, obtained with a total of 200 Munsell color chips arrayed on 10 gray cardboard panels, indicated that: a)while by simultaneous matching the mean color differences obtained are, in most cases, lower than 1 Cielab unit, those obtained by memory are generally higer; b) the worst remembered colors are yellow, light green, blue and pink, and the best remembered color is orange; c) the influence of the delay time (15 s, 15 min, 24 h) is significant for the remembered mean color (p<0.03); d) we find significant men-women differences for the remembered mean color (p<0.05).