Why Warm May Always Be Better

#5 Hawes, B. K., Brunyé, T. T., Mahoney, C. R., Sullivan, J. M., & Aall, C. D. (2012). Effects of four workplace lighting technologies on perception, cognition and affective state. International Journal Of Industrial Ergonomics, 42(1), 122-128. doi:10.1016/j.ergon.2011.09.004

Coming from the United States Army Natick Soldier Research for Development and Engineering Center in Massachusetts, Breanna Hawes, Tad Brune, Caroline Mahoney, John Sullivan with Christian Aall from the Department of Psychology at Tufts University in Medford Massachusetts investigate the implications of LED technologies on worker performance. With the result rise of technology and use of Light-emitting diodes (LED), the use of advanced technology is believed to promise visual cognitive efficiency and increased alertness. The experiment was conducted with twenty-four participants within a climate-controlled military shelter where temperature was regulated at 70 degree Fahrenheit while four lighting technologies were used. The lighting technologies covered a spectrum of colour temperatures: fluorescent, LED 1, LED 2, and LED 3. Participants were then tasked with tests designed to measure visual acuity, colour recognition, mood state, and cognitive performance. Followed by these tests were three cognitive tasks which 1) allows for participants to adapt to lighting conditions, 2) to challenge verbal working memory and procedural learning, and then, 3) to challenge spatial working memory performance through response time and accuracy. In a colour hue test, LED 3 (warmer light) showed marginally faster completion times versus the other lighting technologies while the acuity task showed no difference between the four. For mood measurements, subscales were based on the factors of : tension/anxiety, depression, anger/hostility, vigor/activity, fatigue, and confusion/bewilderment. Through experiment one the conclusions presented that: tasks with colour recognitions showed faster performance in higher colour temperatures, that higher colour temperatures led to higher arousal rates which describes depression and that the higher colour temperature led to faster cognitive task performance and improved mood state. The results suggest that an increase in LED technologies within an industrial environment will have positive implications on worker performance, that with the warmer colour temperatures of LED, LED supports positive mood, speed performance, and extended wakefulness. The style and vocabulary of Hawes’ article is well explained and will be of high interest to any reader.