Effect of illumination on perceived temperature.

The widely known hue-heat effect, a multisensory phenomenon between vision and thermal sensing, is a hypothesis based on the idea that light and colors affect perceived temperature. However, the application of this effect has not been prevalent in our daily lives. To work towards developing more practical use of the hue-heat effect, we conducted a series of psychophysical experiments to investigate the relationship between perceived temperature and illumination in a well-controlled experimental environment. The results showed that illumination had three types of effects to change our sense of coolness/warmness: creating, eliminating, and exchanging effects. Furthermore, we confirmed the existence of two distinctive time courses for the three effects: creating effect started immediately, but the eliminating effect takes time. These findings provide us with a better understanding of the hue-heat effect and enable us to apply it in everyday life. Paired with the new technologies it can also help with energy conservation.
Competing Interests: The authors have read the journal's policy and have the following competing interests: AS is a paid employee of Kimura Kohki Co. Ltd. There are no patents, products in development or marketed products associated with this research to declare. This does not alter our adherence to PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials.