Comparison of Successive with Simultaneous Color Matching

Abstract

The two matching methods were compared to see whether they gave substantially different results. Such a difference would be of interest because successive matching is common in everyday life whereas simultaneous matching is standard colorimetric practice. An experiment was performed in which 25 test colors were matched by both methods. The successive or memory method yielded (1) the higher variability of replicative matchings, (2) the shorter matching times, (3) systematically higher purities, and (4) somewhat higher luminances. Three supplementary experiments are cited which are confirmatory with respect to the principal finding of extra purity and luminance usually required for the memory matches. This increased apparent strength of the remembered colors seems to be a direct consequence of the selectivity of memory.