Department of Clothing, Textiles & Interior Design
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Browsing Department of Clothing, Textiles & Interior Design by Author "Ruthie Sherrel Bass"
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Item A Comparative Study of the Abilities of Selected Insitutionalized and/or Psychotic Male Patients, Male Employees, Working in Patient Areas, and Certain Advanced Interior Design Students to Distinguish Differences in Values and Intensities of Two Selected Hues(The University of Alabama, 1970) Ruthie Sherrel BassThree populations of patients, employees, and students were tested by an interview technique to determine their abilities to recognize differences in values and intensities of two selected hues. These findings were analyzed by a Chi-Square method. A 10 percent random sampling of male patients and of male employees working in patient areas at the United States Veterans Administration Hospital, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, was selected. A group of interior design students in the School of Home Economics, University of Alabama, was selected and tested to standardize the test. In the interview, subjects were shown 40 cards in random order on which swatches showing matched pairs of value and intensity variations of two hues were mounted. The two hues were Munsell 2.5 yellow-red and 5.0 blue-green, chosen on the basis of results of a color preference study at the Veterans Administration Hospital. Subjects were asked to decide if the paired swatches were alike or different. The percentage of errors for each population indicated that a majority of all three populations correctly identified 39 of the 40 matched pairs. In reviewing the statistical analysis, the hypothesis that the abilities of the patient population are not as great as the abilities of the employee and student populations cannot be rejected at the .01 level of significance. Individual analysis of the intensity and value variations indicated that the patient population had more difficulty in recognizing color variations in the pairs of blue-green values and the pairs of yellow-red values and intensities than did the other populations. Analysis of the pairs of blue-green intensities indicates that all three populations had difficulty in recognizing differences. The test also indicated that while patients had difficulty in recognizing fine color variations (one-step differences in the Munsell Color Charts), they were able to recognize more variations at the two-step difference level, and recognized almost all variations at the three step difference level. Findings also indicated that the design students who had taken at least one course in color theory and its application could more easily recognize the variations in the color pairs than could the employees and the patients. The findings are limited only to the groups described, and not to the total group of institutionalized and/or psychotic patients and employees in all Veterans Hospitals. The testing instrument used in this study should be used in future studies with a larger sampling of patients, employees, and students. More testing should be conducted with the patients and employees in psychiatric hospitals,, expanding the test to include more hues and more variations of intensity and value. These variations should go to extremes at both ends of the value and intensity scales for other hues. The United States Veterans Administration should re-evaluate its recommendations for the use of color in patient areas so that the greatest possible benefit from the influence of color can be used in the treatment of patients. Enough testing should be done to determine the patients* ability to recognize differences in any hue so that the preliminary steps can be taken in establishing a color standard for use in patient areas for this type of institution. Further testing should be conducted to determine the degree to which a pleasing color environment has a therapeutic value for the institutionalized and/or psychotic patient.