Age differences in the legibility of symbol highway signs as a function of luminance and glare level : a preliminary report.

Author(s)
Schieber, F. & Kline D.W.
Year
Abstract

Three experimentes were conducted to investigate the effects of adult aging upon the legibility of simulated symbol highway signs. Each experiment employed a different set of lighting conditions: (1) daytime luminance; (2) nighttime luminance; and (3) nighttime luminance with glare. Young (ages 18-25) and middle-aged (ages 40-55) observers demonstrated small reductions in legibility when luminance was reduced from daytime to nighttime levels. However, older (ages 65-79) observers demonstrated marked losses in legibility distance with reductions in sign luminance. The introduction of a glare source (equivalent to approaching automobile headlights at 30 m) reduced sign legibility distance for the older observers but had no deleterious effect upon their young and middle-aged couterparts. The relative magnitude of the observed age, luminance and glare effects appeared to be equivalent across all signs examined.

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Publication

Library number
951746 ST [electronic version only]
Source

In: Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergononics Society 38th Annual Meeting, 1994, p. 133-136, 2 ref.

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