Do Attention and Memory Tasks Require the Same Lighting? A Study in University Classrooms

Carmen Llinares, Nuria Castilla and Juan Luis Higuera-Trujillo
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Carmen Llinares: Institute for Research and Innovation in Bioengineering (i3B), Universitat Politècnica de València, 46022 València, Spain
Nuria Castilla: Centro de Investigación de Tecnología de la Edificación (CITE), Universitat Politècnica de València, 46022 València, Spain
Juan Luis Higuera-Trujillo: Institute for Research and Innovation in Bioengineering (i3B), Universitat Politècnica de València, 46022 València, Spain

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 15, 1-13

Abstract: Lighting plays a fundamental role in learning spaces as it influences students’ performance. Nowadays, new technologies and new teaching methods in higher education mean that very different visual tasks are performed in the classroom, so further research is necessary to identify what lighting is best suited to these new tasks. The objective of the study is to analyse the impact that variations in levels of illuminance and Correlated Colour Temperature (CCT) of classrooms have on the cognitive functions (attention and memory) of university students. The cognitive performance of 90 participants was evaluated based on attention and memory tasks. The participants had to view nine virtual classroom configurations, with three different illuminance settings (100 lx, 300 lx and 500 lx) and three CCTs (3000 K, 4000 K and 6500 K). The results showed that attention and memory tasks require different level of illumination. While attention improves with higher light levels, memory improves with lower light levels. Higher CCTs generate better performance in both attention and memory tasks. These results highlight the link between lighting and students’ cognitive responses. This study and its methodology can be useful for architects and researchers as they establish lighting design guidelines capable of improving students’ cognitive processes.

Keywords: classroom design; lighting; memory; attention; psychological responses; neuroarchitecture; human centric lighting (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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