December 1, 1985
Lab Report on Murder Case
Edward Choi
Title: Mysteries of Color
Problem: If a person has a color deficiency, will color filters enhance their ability to
differentiate colors?
Hypothesis: By providing color filters the color deficient will be able to differentiate
colors better because, when a color deficient person views colors there cones are
genetically coded wrong. They will produce different pigments and by providing filters,
the individual will be able to counter the wrong pigments and distinguish the different
colors.
Variables:
Manipulated Variable:
– Different Filters
Responding Variable:
– Ability to differentiate colors using the filters
Controlled Variable:
– Same tests
– Same markers (brand, colors/shades)
– Same light contrast
– Same red and green filters
Materials:
– Preliminary Colorblind Test
– Colorblind Testing Kit
– Chart for Preliminary
Colorblind Test
– Chart for Colorblind Testing
Kit
– Picture for Coloring
– People
–
–
–
–
–
–
Tinfoil
Red Cellophane
Green Cellophane
Pencil/Pen
Paper
Markers
Procedure:
Test 1:
1. Print the color deficiency test off the internet website of http://www.toledobend.com/colorblind/Ishihara.html for surveying.
2. Make a chart based on the preliminary color deficiency test like the one below:
Colorblind test:
Name: ___________________________ Hmrm: ____________
Age: __________
Fill in the numbers you see in the following boxes:
Left
Right
Top
Middle
Bottom
3. Survey many people to see who is color deficient.
4. After surveying a minimum of 100 people, organize data into three piles, noncolor deficient, male color deficient and female color deficient. (The more you
survey the more accurate it is)
Test 2:
1. Select the color deficient people in test 1.
2. Pick 15 plates from “Tests for Color-Blindness” by S. Ishihara. The following are
the plates I chose:
3. Test the selected individuals from test 1 using the 15 plates you chose.
4. Diagnose what type of colorblind they are.
5. Record results in data table. The following is the data table I created:
Photo #
1
2
9
12
17
21
23
24
27
29
31
32
35
37
38
What
you see
Correct
Diagnosis
Test 3:
1. Create 2 pictures looking like the following:
2. Pick eight Markers with the colors of red, green, blue, yellow, purple, brown,
black and orange. Cover these markers up with tinfoil and label them the colors
they are. Mix up the caps so they cannot compare or match the cap to the color
they should draw.
3. Give the surveyed people the markers and tell them to copy the drawing you have
drawn for them. Also, give them an outline of the drawing so they can fill it in.
4. After they are finished, compare their drawing with yours and notify any
differences noticed.
Test 4:
1. Using the test 1 preliminary colorblind test sheet, cover one with red cellophane
and one with green cellophane.
2. Repeat test 1 on the selected individuals with the cellophane on, and be sure to tell
them just report what they see, not what they remember.
3. Mark down the amount of numbers increase or decrease from the first test.
Final Stage:
1. Record and group all data
2. Analyze the data
Observations:
TEST 1 Observations
Amount of Numbers Seen
Out of 6
How Many Numbers Saw Out of 6
7
6
5
Amount of numbers
seen
4
3
2
1
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Case
Percent of Numbers Seen (rounded to nearest
whole)
120%
Percent
100%
80%
Percent of numbers
seen (rounded to
nearest whole)
60%
40%
20%
0%
1
2
3
4
5 6
Case
7
8
9 10
Percent of Females Color Deficient
9%
Number of Female Color
Deficient
Number of Normal
Females
91%
Percent of Males Color Deficient
17%
Number of Males Color
Deficient
Number of Normal Males
83%
TEST 2 Observations
Amount of Numbers
Seen Out of 15
Amount of Numbers Seen Out of 15
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
Amount of Numbers
Seen Out of 15
1
2
3
4
5
6
Case
7
8
9
10
Percent of Numbers Seen (rounded to the nearest
whole)
120%
Percent
100%
80%
Percent of Numbers
Seen
60%
40%
20%
0%
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Case
TEST 3 Observations
Case 1:
Case 2:
Case 3:
Case 4:
Case 5:
Case 6:
Case 7:
Case 8:
Case 9:
Case 10 (Control):
TEST 4 Observations
Amount of Numbers Seen with No, Green and Red
Filters
Numbers Seen Out of 6
7
No Filter
6
5
With Green
Filter
With Red
Filter
4
3
2
1
0
1
2
3
4
5
Case
6
7
8
9
10
Percent Increase with Red Filter
Percent Increase
250.00%
200.00%
150.00%
Percent Increase with
Red Filter
100.00%
50.00%
0.00%
Deutan
Protan
Mild
Deutan
and Protan
Type of Color Deficiency
OBSERVATION SUMMARY
Test 1
Test 2
Test 3
Test 4
Green
Case 1
Can see 25
and 8
Can see 12 and 42 Green and red
and tracing line
reverse
38
Can see
25
Case 2
Can see 25,
45, 56 and
8
All correct
Case 3
Can see 25,
45, 6 and 8
Can see
25, 29,
45, 56
and 8
Can see
25, 45,
and 8
Case 4
Can see 25
and 8
Can see 12, 8, 74,
42, 35 and tracing
line 27, 31, 32,
35, 37 and 38
Can see 12, 8, 73,
42, 35 and tracing
line 27, 35, 37,
and 38
Can see 12, blank
and tracing line
38
Red mistaken
as green
Can see
25 and
56
Case 5
Can see 25
and 56
Can see 12 and
tracing line 38
Blue mistaken
as purple,
green
mistaken as
red and red
mistaken as
green
Can see
25, 29
and 56
All correct
Red
Can see
25, 29,
45, 56, 6
and 8
Can see
25, 45
and 8
Can see
25, 29,
45, 56, 6
and 8
Can see
25, 29,
45, 6
and 8
Can see
25, 29,
45, 56, 6
and 8
Case 6
Can see 25,
29, 45, 6
and 8
Case 7
Can see 12, 8,
could see blank,
42, 35 and tracing
line 27, 31, 32, 37
and 38
Can see
25, 45,
56 and 8
Can see
25, 45
and 8
Can only
see 25
Green
mistaken as
blue, blue
mistaken as
green, and red
mistaken as
orange
Can see 12, 8, and Red mistaken
tracing line 38
as green
Can see
25, 45
and 56
Can see
25, 45,
56, 6, 8
Case 8
Can only
see 25
Can see 12 and
tracing line 38
Can see
25
Can see
25, 45, 8
Case 9
Can only
see 25, 29
and 56
Can see 12 and
tracing line 38
Can see
25, 29
and 56
Can see
25, 29,
45, 6, 8
Can see
25, 29,
45, 56, 6
and 8
Can see
25, 29,
45, 6
and 8
Case 10
Can see 25, Can see 12, 8, 74,
97, 73, nothing in
(CONTROL) 29, 45, 56,
6 and 8 (all) blank, 42, 35, and
tracing line 27,
29, 31, 32, 35, 37
and 38 (all)
Case 11
Can see 25
and 56
Case 12
Can see 25,
45, 56, 8
Case 13
Can see 25
and 8
Case 14
Can see 25,
29, 45 and
56
Case 15
Can see 25,
29, 45, 56
and 8
Case 16
Can see 25
and 56
Case 17
Can see 25
and 56
Case 18
Can see 25,
45, 56, 6
Purple
mistaken as
blue and red
and green
mixed up
Blue and
purple
switched and
blue and
green
switched
No mistake
Case 19
Case 20 - 134
and 8
Can see 25,
29 and 56
Can see 25,
29, 45, 56,
6 and 8
Case 1-9 – color deficiencies
Case 10 – no color deficiency. Used as a control to identify patterns and sequences
Case 11-19 – color deficient, but chose not to participate further in study
Case 20-134 – no color deficiencies.
Analysis:
Case 1
Case 2
Case 3
Case 4
Case 5
Case 6
Analysis (by case)
From test 1, this case is classified as red-green color deficient. From test 2,
this case is classified as deutan color deficient. From test 3, he reversed one
of the green and red strips also proving he is red-green color deficient. In test
4, while adding the filters the red filter enhanced his vision of colors by
200%. By putting the green filter, his vision of color decreased by 50%.
From test 1, this case is classified as red-green color deficient. From test 2,
this case is classified as normal. From test 3, she was classified as normal. In
test 4, while using the red filter it decreased her vision of color by 25%.
Using the green filter, her vision of color enhanced by 25%. I presume that
this case has the rods in her eye’s retina are weak but not weak enough to be
classified as color deficient.
From test 1, this case is classified as red-green color deficient. From test 2,
this case is classified as mild deutan and mild protan color deficient. From
test 3, this case did not color wrong because he is only mild color deficient.
From test 4, the red filter enhanced his vision of color by 50%. By putting
the green filter, his vision of color decreased by 25%.
From test 1, this case is classified as red-green color deficient. From test 2,
this case is classified as deutan color deficient. From test 3, his red is
mistaken as green and from test 4, the red filter enhanced his vision of color
by 150%. The green filter kept his vision the same.
From test 1, this case is classified as red-green color deficient. From test 2,
this case is classified as deutan color deficient. From test 3, this case colored
the blue as purple and the green as red. From test 4, using the red filter the
case enhanced his vision of color by 200%. By putting the green filter, his
vision of color enhanced by 50%.
From test 1, this case is classified as red-green color deficient. From test 2,
this case is classified as mild deutan and mild protan. From test 3, this case
colored green as blue, blue as green and red as orange. From test 4, using the
red filter decreased his vision of color by 40%. Using the green filter his
vision of color decreased by 20%.
Case 7
Case 8
Case 9
Case 10
Test 1
Test 2
Test 3
Test 4
From test 1, this case is classified as red-green color deficient. From test 2,
this case is deutan color deficient. From test 3, this case mixed up the green
and red. From test 4, using the red filter enhanced his vision by 400%. Using
the green filter his vision of color enhanced by 200%.
From test 1, this case is classified as red-green color deficient. From test 2,
this case is red-green color deficient and more. From test 3, he mixed up his
blue and yellow and blue and purple. From test 4, using the red filter
enhanced his vision by 200%. By using the green filter, it did not enhance or
decrease his vision of color.
From test 1, this case is classified as red-green color deficient. From test 2,
this case is protan color deficient. From test 3, this case mixed up her blue
and green, and mixed up the blue and purple. This is saying that she might
not only be protan color deficient. From test 4, using the red filter, it
enhanced her vision of color by 66%. The green filter did not change her
vision of color at all.
From test 1, he is not color deficient. From test 2, he is not color deficient.
From test 3, he did not make any mistakes. For test 4, by using the red filter
it decreased his vision of color by 17%. By using the green filter, it did not
enhance or decrease his vision of color.
Analysis (by test)
I noticed all the deutan color deficient people could see less numbers than the
people with mild deutan and mild protan. The people with more than just
red-green color deficiency can see the least.
I noticed all the deutan color deficient people could see less numbers than
those with mild protan and mild deutan. The people with more than just redgreen color deficiency can see the least.
I noticed that all color deficient people copy different drawings no matter
what type of deficiency they are. Each individual case will have learned to
adapt differently to the environment around them. Some have no problems to
following the pattern.
I noticed that all deutan color deficient people increase drastically (over
150%) while using the red filter. The deutan color deficient people did not
show much increase by using the green filter. The mild deutan/mild protan
people results show that the neither filter helped them much if any. People
that have more than just red-green color deficiency increase dramatically
while using the red filter but the green filter does not affect them.
Sources of Error:
A source of error that could happen is that the sunlight could have differentiated and it
would have given them a disadvantage because the sunlight would help you distinguish
different colors better. I also only chose fifteen of the thirty-eight colorblind plates and
they could have done better if I did not choose a few from each group instead of all of
them. An additional source of error for test 1 was that some people came forward and
told me that they were colorblind so the percentage of colorblind people might be a little
higher than usual. While doing test 3, some people might have been able to match the
colors on the cap as the colors on the page, which might also be a source of error.
Another source of error is that I analyzed the results by my own knowledge but that is not
as expertise as the real optometrist. Also, while I was doing the testing, their would be
human error. Even though they could have seen it, at that moment and circumstance they
could have just missed it and not tried hard enough.
Conclusion:
For this experiment, I was hoping to get a cure for color deficiency. My problem was, can
color filters help color deficient people differentiate colors better. My hypothesis was that
it would help them and I have concluded that I was correct in some way because a red
filter can help color deficient people differentiate colors. However, it only helps the
people who are red-green color deficient. It helps the people that are deutan or protan
more than it does if you have a mild degree of both. It also helps people with mild degree
of both more than it does to the color deficient people of blue and yellow or a more
severe color deficiency.
My results show while using the red filter it increases almost every color deficient
person’s vision of color by a great amount. The red filters helped increase their vision of
color on an average of 63.4%. The red filters helped the deutan people on an average of
238%. For protan people the red filters helped on an average of 66%. For people with
mild deutan and protan they had on average a 5% increase.
Therefore, if we made glasses with a red filter as a substitute for lenses it would help the
color deficient people greatly.
Application:
The application for my project is to help color deficient people have a simple way to
differentiate colors when needed. An example of this is when they go clothes shopping.
I used color filters to accomplish this task. I found out that the red filter would help me
fulfill my goal of helping color deficient people differentiate colors.
Another thing is there are many jobs that color deficient people cannot do. An example of
this is when cutting colored wires, they are unable to distinguish the different colors. I
also succeeded and completed this with the red filters. I could make glasses with red
filters as lenses for these people to use when they need to.
References:
Ishihara, S. The Series of Plates Designed as a Test for Colour-Blindness. Tokyo:
Kanehara Shuppan Co., Ltd.
Olsen, MM. and Harris, KR. (1989). Color vision Deficiency and Color Blindness An
Introduction to the Problem. Eugene, Oregon: Fern Ridge Press
Rosenthal. O. and Phillips, RH. (1997). Coping with Color-Blindness. Garden City Park,
New York: Avery Publishing Group
Waggoner, TL. Colorblind Homepage. Retrieved December 11, 2003 from the Internet:
http://colorvisiontesting.com/
Waggoner, TL. Ishihara Test for Color Blindness. Retrieved December 11, 2003 from the
Internet: www.toledo-bend.com/colorblind/Ishiara.html
Acknowledgement:
I would like to thank all the Tom Baines students and teachers, especially Mrs. Robertson,
Mrs. Zawislak, Mrs. Murphy and Michael Tseng who help me gather data and volunteer
their time to assist me for my project. I would also like to thank Dr. C.W. Ho the
optometrist in Visions Eye Care Center on Center Street S.W. Calgary Alberta for
lending me “The Series of Plates Designed as a Test for Colour-Blindness” kit by
Ishihara. Lastly, I would like to thank Mrs. Pederson for sponsoring me in my virtual
science fair project.