Visual Thresholds During Dark Adaptation

Abstract

The alleged lack of color vocabulary for short wavelength discriminations among linguistic groups with darker skin pigmentation has been thought to be due to a correlated increase in melanin pigment in the ocular media. The presence of this tritanopic-like condition in black observers was tested by comparing the dark adapted thresholds of 13 white and 10 black observers with white, red, green, and blue test lights. There were no significant differences between the white and black observers for any of the test lights. The range of cone and rod thresholds for each group of observers was the same. These results do not support the hypothesis that linguistic deficiencies in color discrimination terms reflect a tritanopic-like condition due to increased ocular pigmentation.