Blue-Enriched White Light Enhances Physiological Arousal But Not Behavioral Performance during Simulated Driving at Early Night

Rodríguez-Morilla, Beatriz; Madrid, Juan Antonio; Molina, Enrique; Correa, Ángel · 2017 · OpenAlex-citations

DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00997

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Summary

This study investigates whether blue-enriched white light (BWL) improves driving performance during early night hours, a time when vigilance naturally declines. While previous research suggests that short-wavelength light enhances physiological arousal, its impact on complex behavioral tasks like driving remains inconsistent. The authors aimed to determine if BWL improves driving accuracy and reaction times compared to long-wavelength orange light (OL) and a dim light (DL) control condition, specifically testing the hypothesis that increased physiological arousal translates to better cognitive performance. The experiment involved 36 healthy "neither-type" university students (ages 18–25) who were randomly assigned to one of three lighting conditions: BWL (469 lux, peak at 440 nm), OL (410 lux, peak at 595 nm), or DL (<1 lux). Participants underwent a 45-minute baseline period in dim light, followed by a 75-minute experimental phase where they performed a simulated driving task and an auditory psychomotor vigilance task (PVT) under their assigned lighting condition. The session took place between 21:45 and 22:45, overlapping with the dim light melatonin onset. Physiological arousal was measured using the distal-proximal temperature gradient (DPG), while subjective sleepiness and mood were assessed via the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale and a mood scale. Driving performance was quantified by position error and velocity error in a simulated highway environment, and PVT performance was measured by reaction time and lapses. Results indicated that BWL significantly decreased the DPG, reflecting enhanced physiological arousal compared to the other conditions. However, this physiological alertness did not translate into improved behavioral performance. Specifically, BWL did not improve reaction times in the PVT or driving accuracy. Contrary to expectations, participants in the BWL condition made more driving errors than those in the OL condition, while OL performance remained stable over time. The DL control group showed the expected vigilance decrement. The authors suggest that while blue light successfully increases arousal, this heightened state may actually impair precision in complex tasks like driving, potentially due to excessive activation that disrupts fine motor control or attentional focus. The significance of these findings lies in the dissociation between physiological arousal and cognitive performance. The study demonstrates that increasing arousal through light exposure is not a sufficient strategy for enhancing safety-critical tasks that require precision. It implies that lighting interventions for night-time alertness must be carefully calibrated, as blue-enriched light may have counterproductive effects on driving accuracy despite its alerting properties. This challenges the assumption that any increase in alertness is beneficial for all cognitive domains and highlights the need to distinguish between general arousal and task-specific performance optimization.

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Topics

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• circadian factors
• dark adaptation mesopic

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• Empirical Findings: physiological data