Colour Perception in Immersive Virtual Reality: Emotional and Physiological Responses to Fifteen Munsell Hues

2025-09-15

AI Summary

This study addresses the lack of empirical characterization of affective–physiological responses to individual hue categories in high-fidelity immersive virtual reality (VR). Using calibrated Munsell hue patches (n = 15), we assessed subjective affect—valence, arousal, and dominance—via the Self-Assessment Manikin (SAM) scale while concurrently recording pupillary diameter and electrodermal activity (EDA). We established the first comprehensive hue-specific affective–physiological response map in immersive VR. Results show that red and reddish-purple hues significantly increase arousal and dominance, whereas blue-green maximizes valence. Pupillary dilation magnitude correlates strongly with subjective arousal (r > 0.9), confirming its validity as an objective arousal index. Crucially, individual differences in cognition and personality modulate response magnitude but preserve the canonical inter-hue ranking. These findings provide empirically grounded, hue-specific guidelines for color design in VR interfaces, clinical psychological interventions, and human-centered systems engineering.

Technology Category

• Humans and AI: Game Design — Virtual Humans, NPCs and Autonomous Characters
• Cognitive Modeling & Cognitive Systems: Affective Computing
• Application Domains: Humanities & Computational Social Science

Application Category

• User Modeling, Personalization and Recommendation: Practical large-scale studies of user experience
• Responsible Web: Machine-in-the-loop, human agency and autonomy
• Search and Retrieval-Augmented AI: Vertical and domain-specific search

Abstract

Colour is a fundamental determinant of affective experience in immersive virtual reality (VR), yet the emotional and physiological impact of individual hues remains poorly characterised. This study investigated how fifteen calibrated Munsell hues influence subjective and autonomic responses when presented in immersive VR. Thirty-six adults (18-45 years) viewed each hue in a within-subject design while pupil diameter and skin conductance were recorded continuously, and self-reported emotions were assessed using the Self-Assessment Manikin across pleasure, arousal, and dominance. Repeated-measures ANOVAs revealed robust hue effects on all three self-report dimensions and on pupil dilation, with medium to large effect sizes. Reds and red-purple hues elicited the highest arousal and dominance, whereas blue-green hues were rated most pleasurable. Pupil dilation closely tracked arousal ratings, while skin conductance showed no reliable hue differentiation, likely due to the brief (30 s) exposures. Individual differences in cognitive style and personality modulated overall reactivity but did not alter the relative ranking of hues. Taken together, these findings provide the first systematic hue-by-hue mapping of affective and physiological responses in immersive VR. They demonstrate that calibrated colour shapes both experience and ocular physiology, while also offering practical guidance for educational, clinical, and interface design in virtual environments.

Problem

• Investigating emotional and physiological responses to 15 Munsell hues in VR
• Measuring how specific colors affect arousal, pleasure, and dominance perceptions
• Mapping hue-by-hue physiological correlations using pupil dilation and skin conductance

Innovation

• Calibrated Munsell hues in VR
• Pupil dilation tracking arousal responses
• Systematic hue-by-hue affective mapping