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Dr. Allen Nagy

Bio

Dr. Nagy is a Professor in the Psychology Department. He currently teaches undergraduate courses in vision, consciousness, and other human factors topics, as well as graduate courses in the Human Factors psychology graduate program.

Research Interests

Dr. Nagy's research is concerned with the sensory processes involved in the perception of color and has recently involved three different research problems: 

1. The first problem area is the ability of normal human observers to discriminate colors in peripheral vision. The problem has both theoretical and applied importance since it is not clear whether peripheral color vision is qualitatively different than central color vision and in many practical applications it is important to predict the discriminability of two lights viewed with peripheral vision.

2. The second problem area involves the understanding of inherited color deficiencies or color blindness. This research is also of theoretical and practical importance since color vision screening tests are used in many occupations and the development of accurate and reliable testing procedures is of some importance since individuals are often prevented from entering certain occupations if they are "color blind".

3. The third problem area involves the information processing of color information by normal human observers. This research is of obvious practical importance since color coding is used to convey information in a large number of different applications.

Color and color display research is conducted on a large Maxwellian view optical system that is microprocessor-controlled. The optical bench is currently configured, using lenses, mirrors, shutters, and neutral density wheels, to combine at least four channels of information. In addition, two stable, broad spectrum, calibrated, Barco 16" color monitors are each controlled by special color interface devices that permit quantitative color discrimination research to be conducted. Both systems are under separate microprocessor control. Other laboratory equipment includes oscilloscopes (one Tektronix memory oscilloscope), a Gamma radiometer/photometer, a Minolta Chromometer, a Pritchard Photometer, and an automated analomoscope.