Luminance Contrast Influences Reaction Time in Young and Older Adults

Abstract—Age-specific design principles for three dimensional virtual environment systems are sparse. Given that sensorimotor control systems change across the lifespan, understanding age differences in motor performance within virtual environments is crucial to designing effective, usable interfaces. This paper investigates the effect of luminance contrast level on reaction time to a visual stimulus in both young and senior adults. Results indicate that young adults have faster reaction times than seniors, but both groups improved reaction times with increasing luminance contrast of the target. Young adults improved at lower levels of contrast than seniors. Implications for age-specific design of virtual environments are discussed. Keywords- virtual environment; aging; motor control; reach to grasp; luminance contrast I