Color vision is one of the most captivating components of visual perception and one element that continually appeals to psychologists of visual perceptions, vision scientists, and philosophers of color perceptions. However, scanty information exists on the effects of impaired color vision differentiated by gender. A significant portion of the world's population lives with inherited color defect conditions while others suffer different optic and retinal nerve ailments. Research has established that people with color vision defects are more likely to get involved in road accidents relative to those with normal color vision. Similarly, medical officers with abnormal color vision can be considerably disadvantaged at work ( Hadad, 2019) . Furthermore, certain professions like pilots, navigators, and police require normal color vision, and as such, any person with impaired color vision id disqualified. The paper presents a literature review on a series of articles devoted to the basic phenomena of color vision and the gender-based differences in color perception. The reviewed articles will play an essential role in shaping my thesis statement on gender-based effects of color vision defects.
Van der Zee ( 2019) conducted a study on looking behavior and performance among children with visual disorders. The objective of the research was to examine the Gestalt closure in kids with vision and cerebral impairment. The study hypothesized that visually impaired kids were more likely to have weaker Gestalt closure. The looking behavior was examined by the help of the Eye Tracker System (ETS), which quantified the counts and duration of fixations. The ETS is a common and standard method used in assessing looking behavior. Thus, the method was suitable for the study. The study used data collected from kids with vision disorders from a reintegration center for visually impaired and blind kids. The children were from assorted areas across Netherlands, and written consents were given by parents of all the kids. Experimental processes were permitted by the medical ethics committee of the University of Erasmus. Of the total 122 children in the patient's database, 72 kids were examined, and the rest 51 were not reached either due to time limitation or the patients had a growth level below three years (Van der Zee, 2019). The researcher displayed research ethics by seeking written consent from parents before any examinations were done on the kids. Also, the study had a large initial sample size, which filled the gap where some patients were below three years and where time-limited the study.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
The results of Van der Zee (2019) indicated that kids with visual defects showed frailer Gestalt perception and experienced diverse looking patterns relative to kids who had normal vision. Of the 72 patients, 38 children had ocular visual disorders comprising of twenty-three males and fifteen females. Visual acuity fluctuated from 0.05 to 0.80 Snellen equivalent. An overwhelming 31 kids reported visual acuity less than or equal to the limit for low vision. Eight of the thirty-one were considered blind with visual acuity below or equal to 0.1. Six children had subnormal acuity while one had normal visual acuity. Twenty patients were reported to have behavior problems, one had autism disorder, three had no diagnosis, and two had attachment disorder. The approach used by Van der Zee (2019), can also be replicated in actualizing the current thesis statement. However, a better sampling method , such as simple random sampling will be used in arriving at the sample size. More time will be dedicated to the current research to ensure that all sample units are examined.
Sherpa (2011) conducted an assessment of gender-based alteration in color perception in Patel Nagar, Dehradun. The study was based on the background that people perceive several shades of colors contingent on three kinds of cone systems and ratios of stimulus to various wavelengths. The study hypothesized that cognitively, males and females experience color appearances differently. Consequently, the research sought to comparatively color vision in female and male subjects. The study was conducted on sixty healthy volunteer subjects with normal visual acuity and between the age of 17 and 22 years. The subjects were divided into two groups of males and females, each with thirty subjects, and a history of visual impairment was ruled out.
All examinations were conducted under bright sunlight, where subjects were required to match 22 test color strips with shades provided in two charts. Time taken to match the test color strips was recorded by the use of stopwatches for all the subjects together with the number of correct answers provided. The research design adopted by Sherpa (2011), is clear and easy to apply since no complex tests are involved. The color matching test achieved two objectives at the same time- the number of correct responses and the time taken to match the test color strips. In addition, the sample size balanced the genders giving both males and females equal initial probability of outcomes. This method can be replicated in other related studies, including the current research statement.
The results revealed a statistically significant difference in the sum of correct answers where females gave more correct answers than males. Moreover, females took lesser time than males to match the test color strips with the shades in the charts, and the difference in time taken was also statistically significant. When the cases were listed color-wise, the study indicated that for each color, females had more correct responses relative to their male partners. In the cases of black, yellow, and blue colors, the number of correct answers did not show a significant difference. The difference in the number of correct responses for red and green colors was statistically significant. These results confirmed the study hypothesis that males and females perceive colors differently ( Sherpa , 2011).
Another study by Shrestha ( 2010), assessed the color vision defects among schooling children in Nepal. The study hypothesized that male students had a higher likelihood of being affected by color vision defects relative to their female counterparts. The study adopted a cross-sectional descriptive study design in evaluating the children's color vision. Purposive sampling was applied in selecting the schools, and consent of examination was obtained from both the participant's guardians and the school authority. The research team comprised optometrists, ophthalmologists, and Ophthalmic assistants who visited the selected four schools and evaluated a total of two thousand and one students. One thousand and fifty of the students were males, while nine hundred and fifty-one were females. The evaluation included a thorough anterior and posterior segment assessment using a slit lamp and visual acuity evaluation using an internally lit Snellen's Vision Chart (SVC). Participants who showed ocular pathology and a significant reduction in visual acuity subsequent to refractive rectification with a potential effect on their vision screening performance were excluded from the research and referred to hospitals.
The color vision of the children under ordinary daylight was evaluated by the help of Ishihara pseudo isochromatic charts and differentiation of abnormality done accordingly. Students with impaired color vision were referred to hospitals along with their guardians for a further check-up in order to rule out the acquired causes of the defects. Counseling was also done with regard to various aspects of vision disorders, their causes, effects on career choice, the possibility of the defect inheritance by offspring, and possible defect on other family members. The methods used by Rajesh in visual acuity, anterior and posterior segment assessments (slit-lamp and SVC) were standard and quite comprehensive in terms of output. The methods can also be applicable in conducting my thesis on gender-based effects of color vision defects as they yield precise and accurate data. However, purposive sampling in such a study may not be as objective as the nature of the research. Random sampling could have yielded better results as schools and students are given equal chances of participating. Rajesh performed due research ethics by referring students who had color vision defects to hospitals. It was also ethical for him to seek consent from school authorities and student guardians before any examinations were carried out.
Shrestha ( 2010) established that 41 students comprising 2.05% of the evaluated population had some type of defects in their color vision. All the affected students were males, and no females were found to have a color vision disorder. The affected population comprised 3.9% of all the male students in the four schools. The study did not report any obvious acquires cause of the defects. The results were similar to different research findings on the prevalence of color defects. Case in point, the findings of Hadad, 2019 , established that 3.85% of male participants were color-blind while only 0.38% of females exhibited the disorder. A similar study in Tehran by Niroula (2010) adopted the same methodology and used Ishihara plate charts to evaluate visual acuity. The study reported that 8.18% of male civilians had color vision defects, and only 0.42% of females suffered vision disorders.
The reviewed studies show that the incidences of visual related defects are higher in males compared to females. The high probability of males having the defect is attributed to the X chromosome-linked gene inheritance trend of the defects where the female is just a carrier of the disorder while males are the affected. Inheritance of a confusing pattern of the Y-linked chromosome also occurs in very few cases. This explains the few numbers of the female population suffering from color vision defects. However, color vision disorders can be corrected if detected at an early stage. With the right counseling, many people can be saved from the psychological distress of changing their desired careers. It is also very important to counsel people with color vision disorders concerning expected work difficulties and possible genetic inheritance as a way of preparing them for future challenges.
References
Hadad, B. S., Russo, N., Kimchi, R., Babineau, V., & Burack, J. A. (2019). Typical Utilization of Gestalt Grouping Cues in Shape Perception by Persons with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Perception , 48 (12), 1175-1196.
Niroula, D. R., & Saha, C. G. (2010). The incidence of color blindness among some school children of Pokhara, Western Nepal. Nepal Med Coll J , 12 (1), 48-50.
Sherpa, D., Pant, C. R., & Joshi, N. (2011). Ocular morbidity among primary school children of Dhulikhel, Nepal. Nepalese Journal of Ophthalmology , 3 (2), 172-176.
Shrestha, R. K., Joshi, M. R., Shakya, S., & Ghising, R. (2010). Color vision defects in school-going children. Journal of the Nepal Medical Association , 50 (180).
van der Zee, Y. J., Kooiker, M. J., Talamante Ojeda, M., & Pel, J. J. (2019). Gestalt Perception in Children with Visual Impairments: Item-Specific Performance and Looking Behavior. Developmental neuropsychology , 44 (3), 296-309.
