Abstract
The diversity of color vision based on genetic polymorphisms provides an excellent opportunity to investigate how genetic sensory differences affect higher cognitive functions such as attention to and impressions of complex visual scenes. In the present study, participants with various color vision types (10 dichromats, 4 anomalous trichromats, and 40 common trichromats) were asked to observe 24 paintings for 30 seconds and rate their impressions using 23 adjective pairs. Their gaze during the observation was recorded using an eye tracker. To compare the effects of long-term and short-term experience with dichromatic vision, half of the participants with common trichromatic vision observed paintings that simulated the appearance of dichromatic vision. A three-way factor analysis (Tacker decomposition) was conducted to analyze the latent factors explaining the individual differences of impression. The first latent factor of individual differences showed a significant difference between common trichromats who observed the simulated dichromatic vision images (short-term experience of dichromatic vision) and minor color vision types (dichromats and anomalous trichromats). The third latent factor showed a significant difference between common trichromats who observed the simulated dichromatic vision images and participants who observed images with their congenital color vision. There was no difference in impressions between common trichromatic vision and minor color vision types. These results suggest that both common trichromats and those with minor color vision types are experiencing rich impressions of complex images through one’s internal color space, which is developed through the long-term experience of external visual scenes. The effect of color vision on gaze during observation varied depending on the color composition of paintings and the time course of the observation. This suggests that the influence of color vision on attention to complex visual scenes requires further research.