The Influence of Colored Lighting on Navigational Decision-Making in Virtual Environments

Pleszewska, Ada Jolanta

4. Term

Lighting Design

2025

2025-05-26

54 pages

This study investigates how colored lighting influences navigational decision-making in virtual environments, with a focus on player preference among red, green, and blue illumination. Utilizing both an online and an in-person experimental setup, participants were asked to select between visually identical corridors, each lit with a different color, under both exploratory and time-pressured conditions. Quantitative data revealed a consistent preference for green lighting, particularly in the online version, while the in-person setting saw increased selection of blue under immersive conditions. Red lighting was the least preferred in both contexts. Age showed weak correlations with color preference, and no statistically significant gender differences were observed. Qualitative feedback highlighted the role of intuition and emotional association in guiding choices, particularly under stress. These findings suggest that color serves not only an aesthetic or atmospheric function in virtual design but also acts as a subconscious cue for spatial behavior. Implications for game design include using color strategically to guide player movement, evoke emotional responses, and adapt environmental cues to game play context. The results also suggest possible applications in real-world architectural lighting and interface design where intuitive navigation is critical.

Lighting Design ; Color Psychology ; Game Design ; Player Navigation ; Environments

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