Does Text Color Affect Readability

Research Questions:

• How does the brain work with the eye?
• What makes us able to see things in color?

The human brain controls all functions within the body. One of these functions is eyesight. The brain and the eyes work together so that people and animals can see. Often times, optical illusions may trick the eye into seeing something that isn't really there. This can produce very interesting effects.

In this experiment, we'll change the color of text. For example, ORANGE GREEN BLUE RED. It may look pretty easy now, but there will be a whole sheet that people will need to read, as fast as they can. We'll also use a control of all uniformly black text.

Materials and Equipment/Ingredients

• Self-created computer printout of colored text or you can use the one that will be provided
• Self-created computer printout of all black text or you can used the one that will be provided to you
• Timer
• At least 10 text subjects
• Pen and paper

Experimental Procedure:

1. Print out both sheets of test papers for your test subjects.

2. Test your test subject: have them read the paper with the black text on it first and time how long it takes for them to read the whole paper.

3. Then test them with the paper with the colored text and time this as well.

4. Repeat steps 2-3 for all your test subjects. Ask them if there was any difference in ease of reading for both papers.

5. Analyze and record your results.

Chart

And so on.........

Printout

RED GREEN YELLOW BROWN BLACK YELLOW BLUE ORANGE BLUE PINK BROWN RED GREEN PURPLE GRAY GREEN BLUE ORANGE PINK YELLOW BROWN GREEN GRAY BLACK RED ORANGE YELLOW PINK PURPLE BROWN BLACK ORANGE YELLOW GREEN GREEN BROWN BLUE YELLOW PURPLE ORANGE ORANGE ORANGE PINK RED BROWN PURPLE GREEN ORANGE YELLOW RED GREEN YELLOW BROWN BLACK YELLOW BLUE ORANGE BLUE PINK BROWN RED GREEN PURPLE GRAY GREEN BLUE ORANGE PINK YELLOW BROWN GREEN GRAY BLACK RED ORANGE YELLOW PINK PURPLE BROWN BLACK ORANGE YELLOW GREEN GREEN BROWN BLUE YELLOW PURPLE ORANGE ORANGE ORANGE PINK RED BROWN PURPLE GREEN ORANGE YELLOW PINK BLACK GRAY GREEN BLUE PINK GREEN BLUE YELLOW BLUE YELLOW ORANGE YELLOW RED GREEN YELLOW BROWN BLACK YELLOW BLUE ORANGE BLUE PINK BROWN RED GREEN PURPLE GRAY GREEN BLUE ORANGE PINK YELLOW BROWN GREEN GRAY BLACK RED ORANGE YELLOW PINK PURPLE BROWN BLACK ORANGE YELLOW GREEN GREEN BROWN BLUE YELLOW PURPLE ORANGE ORANGE ORANGE PINK RED BROWN PURPLE GREEN ORANGE YELLOW RED GREEN YELLOW BROWN BLACK YELLOW BLUE ORANGE BLUE YOU BROWN ARE GREEN GREAT  GRAY GREEN BLUE ORANGE PINK YELLOW BROWN GREEN GRAY BLACK RED ORANGE YELLOW PINK PURPLE BROWN BLACK ORANGE YELLOW GREEN GREEN BROWN BLUE YELLOW PURPLE ORANGE ORANGE ORANGE PINK RED BROWN PURPLE GREEN ORANGE YELLOW PINK BLACK GRAY GREEN BLUE PINK GREEN BLUE YELLOW BLUE YELLOW ORANGE YELLOW

Terms/Concepts: Color; Brain; the Eye

References:

• http://www.pasadenaeye.com/faq/faq15/faq15_text.html
• http://www.accessexcellence.org/AE/AEC/CC/vision_background.php
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eye
• Ali, Mohamed Ather; Klyne, M.A. (1985). Vision in Vertebrates. New York: Plenum Press. p. 8. ISBN 0-306-42065-1.