Economical Method of Analyzing Perceived Color Differences

This paper describes a method of estimating perceived color differences which avoids some difficulties inherent in currently available methods and is shown to be the most economical available.

Abstract

This paper describes a method of estimating perceived color differences which avoids some difficulties inherent in currently available methods. Twenty subjects estimated the ratios of each of the possible differences in a set of 21 colors compared to a standard difference. These ratios were analyzed by two types of multidimensional-scaling procedures and the solutions agreed with the Munsell notation for the colors used. The difference estimates were linearly related to the corresponding interpoint distances in the resulting solutions and were on a ratio scale. Useful solutions were obtained for individual data and, since the method required only one judgment per stimulus pair, it was shown to be the most economical available.