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100-Hue Test
B. J. Craven
Purpose. To use a theoretical model of the observer on the Farnsworth- Munsell 100-hue test
to estimate the magnitude of random variation in 100-Hue test error scores.
Methods. The model was based upon classical signal detection theory. Results from the model
were obtained by computer simulation.
Results. There is a fairly regular relationship between mean test scores over many tests and the
standard deviation of those scores. This relationship is for practical purposes unaffected by
polarity in the observer's hue discrimination and by changes in the detailed assumptions of the
model.
Conclusion. The model provides a flexible tool for further theoretical research into the 100hue test. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 1993;34:507-511.
Xf a test of visual function, such as the FarnsworthMunsell 100-hue test1, is to have any great clinical or
scientific usefulness, it is important that test-to-test
variations in the subject's score on the test are small or
at least of known magnitude. In this context, "small"
means small compared to those variations that the experimenter is interested in detectingfor example,
those due to defective color vision.
There may be many causes of such test-to-test variations, but they can be broadly classified as being random errors, which cause test-to-test variations that do
not affect the mean score, or systematic (or constant)
errors, which bias the obtained score away from what
might be considered the "true" value. Both of these
kinds of error can affect the result of the FM 100-hue
test. Where testing is done once only, as in screening
procedures, it is the likely random error that is of interest; one would like to know the probability of a colorFrom the. Department of Psychology, University of Stirling, and the
Department of Communication and Neuroscience, University of Keele,
United Kingdom.
Submitted for publication: August 3, 1992; accepted October 14, 1992.
Proprietary interest category: N.
Reprint requests: Dr. li. j . Craven, Department of Psychology, University
of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, United Kingdom.
Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, March 1993, Vol. 34, No. 3
Copyright Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology
507
508
Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, March 1993, Vol. 34, No. 3
509
random variation. Indeed, if a subject consistently ordered the caps in the same incorrect order, we would
be forced to conclude that although the subject's color
matching performance was abnormal, his or her hue
discrimination was very good. Imperfect hue discrimination necessarily implies variation in test scores from
test to test. The amount of random variation (we will
consider the standard deviation of a subject's test
scores) is likely to depend upon the absolute level of
performance. The following model was constructed
with a goal of determining the relationship between
the mean score over many tests and the standard deviation of the scores.
1001
10:
10
1000
METHODS
We assume that the color of each cap i (where the cap
number i takes values from 1 to 85) is encoded by the
value of some internal 1-dimensional variable X; (although color space is three-dimensional, the cap sequence of the FM 100-hue test is one-dimensional). If
the subject encoded color perfectly, without random
error, the value of each x; would be i (this choice is
merely for convenience; any regular spacing would
do). With the introduction of random errors, each xx is
perturbed by the addition of a random variable r
drawn from a Gaussian distribution of zero mean and
standard deviation a. Values of r are drawn independently for each cap. The standard deviation a is a free
parameter; by varying a we can manipulate the absolute level of performance. It will be shown later that
the choice of a Gaussian distribution of r is not crucial.
On each test, each cap i is assigned a value x{, as
just described, and the caps within each box are sorted
into increasing order of X;. Because of the random
component of the Xj's, the sorted order may not be the
correct order. The sorted caps are then scored according to the Farnsworth convention, exactly as if a human subject had ordered the caps. By repeating this
procedure many times, adequately precise values of
the mean score and the standard deviation of scores
can be obtained.
On a computer, the above procedure was performed for many values of the internal standard deviation a to obtain means and standard deviations of
scores corresponding to a wide range of performance
levels.
100
RESULTS
510
100-
100i
2 10-
s 10-
Uniform error
Sine, 1 cycle
Sine, 2 cycles
Sine, 4 cycles
Gaussian
Rectangular
Rect squared
10
100
10
1000
sin[27rtN/85]),
1000
a =
100
(1)
Theoretical s.d
80-
60-
44
511
100
10:
Craven
Victor
10
100
mean error score
1000