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A Preliminary Examination of Background-Color Effects on the Scores of Computer-Based English Grammar Tests Using Near-Infrared Spectroscopy

  • Conference paper
Knowledge-Based and Intelligent Information and Engineering Systems (KES 2011)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNAI,volume 6883))

Abstract

A previous study of the effects of background colors on the scores of a computer-based English test indicated that a combination of black text and a background color with high luminance and high brightness, such as white or yellow, was not considered preferable for computer-based tests (CBTs). In this study, the authors conducted an experiment to see how a background color can affect the brain functions of CBT test takers by observing relative changes in hemoglobin (Hb) concentrations in their brains by using near-infrared spectroscopy. In the experiment, seven male subjects in their twenties took computer-based English tests with different background colors with black text. Two dimensional images of the Hb concentration changes obtained in the experiment showed that areas in the brain associated with memory retrieval tended to have higher Hb concentrations while the subjects were taking the tests with blue backgrounds. On the other hand, areas in the brain related to other functions, such as the frontal eye field, were observed to be more active than brain areas responsible for cognitive tasks while they were taking the test with white background. These results suggest that white color may not be the best choice for a background color of a CBT, in terms of activating brain functions associated with linguistic tasks, even though a white background is commonly used for CBTs.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Engineering, Shibaura Institute of Technology, 307 Fukasaku, Minuma-ku, Saitama-shi, Saitama, Japan

    Atsuko K. Yamazaki

  2. Faculty of Engineering, Nippon Institute of Technology, 4-1 Gakuendai, Miyashiro-cho, Minami Saitama-gun, Saitama, Japan

    Kaoru Eto

Authors
  1. Atsuko K. Yamazaki
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  2. Kaoru Eto
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Integrated Sensor Systems, University of Kaiserslautern, Erwin-Schroedinger-str. 12, 67663, Kaiserslautern, Germany

    Andreas König

  2. Knowledge-Based Systems Group, Department of Computer Science, University of Kaiserslautern, P.O. Box 3049, 67653, Kaiserslautern, Germany

    Andreas Dengel

  3. School of Business, University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland, Riggenbachstr. 16, 4600, Olten, Switzerland

    Knut Hinkelmann

  4. Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka Prefecture University, 1-1 Gakuen-cho, Sakai, 599-8531, Osaka, Japan

    Koichi Kise

  5. KES International, P.O. Box 2115, BN43 9AF, Shoreham-by-sea, UK

    Robert J. Howlett

  6. University of South Australia, Adelaide, 5095, Mawson Lakes, SA, Australia

    Lakhmi C. Jain

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Yamazaki, A.K., Eto, K. (2011). A Preliminary Examination of Background-Color Effects on the Scores of Computer-Based English Grammar Tests Using Near-Infrared Spectroscopy. In: König, A., Dengel, A., Hinkelmann, K., Kise, K., Howlett, R.J., Jain, L.C. (eds) Knowledge-Based and Intelligent Information and Engineering Systems. KES 2011. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 6883. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-23854-3_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-23854-3_4

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-23853-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-23854-3

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

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