Abstract
Introduction. Color sensitivity (the ability to distinguish individual colors and to perceive differences in the spectral composition of visible radiation and object colors) in individuals with normal color vision (healthy normal trichromats) can vary significantly under the influence of various factors, both internal and external. The most significant group of factors are physiological (or body-related). This paper is the first effort to systematize the results of empirical studies similar in methodology, in which the possible influence of body-related factors on color sensitivity was assessed using the Farnsworth-Munsell 100-Hue test.
Methods. The study was conducted using systematic review and meta-analysis. The sources were selected in accordance with PRISMA recommendations via scientometric archives (PubMed, Scopus) and web platforms (Web of Science, Semantic Scholar). The databaseincluded the results of 35studiesconductedin the periodfrom1963to2024in17countrieswith the participation of 4,024 subjects.
Results. Thematic clustering of the identified works enabled us to divide the body-related factors of color sensitivity into three enlarged groups. The first group includes factors related to gender differences and endocrine specificity. The second group includes the main anthropological features of the eye, primarily the color of the iris, the density of macular pigment, and the size of the pupil. The third group includes various effects of age–related changes in the process of natural aging of the body.
Discussion. A comparison of the total error score (TES) and partial error score (PES) of the Farnsworth-Munsell 100-Hue test obtained in each of the thematic clusters showed that color sensitivity has quite significant differences in the population, which correlate with gender, age, ethnic, and racial characteristics of the eye structure. One of the main limitations of the measurements is the involvement of participants from Europe and the United States in the studies. This is especially relevant for age-related norms. Research in this field needs to be continued and further developed.
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