Exploring the effects of background colour and gender on cognitive performance of visual attention: a multimodal approach using fNIRS and eye-tracking

Abstract

The interplay between background colour and individual characteristics such as gender significantly influences cognitive performance in visual attention tasks. While colour's role in cognition has been studied, the impact of low-saturation colours and their gender-specific interactions remains underexplored. This study examined the effects of nine background colours—seven low-saturation hues (red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, purple), standard grey, and standard white—on visual attention among 54 participants (27 males, 27 females) in a dark psychophysical laboratory. A multimodal approach combined cognitive performance data (accuracy and search time), functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) data (activation of brain regions associated with visual attention), and eye-tracking measures (fixation and pupil metrics). Results revealed that males exhibited higher accuracy and faster search times on cyan and yellow backgrounds, whereas females demonstrated greater neural activation on orange and cyan backgrounds. Eye-tracking data indicated longer fixation durations for females on orange backgrounds and higher cognitive load for males on blue backgrounds. Correlation analysis revealed contrasting cognitive strategies, females showed a positive correlation between search time and accuracy, while males exhibited a negative correlation. These findings underscore the nuanced role of gender-specific responses to background colour in shaping visual cognition. Insights gained have applications in human-computer interaction, educational tools, and tailored interventions for cognitive impairments.