The Effects of Light on Wellbeing and Behaviour

Background
Light not only enables humans to see, but also affects cognition, mood, hormone balance and biological rhythms, and therefore influences health and productivity, both at the individual and societal levels. Melanopsin is responsible for initiating the human non-visual responses to light, and there is now early evidence to indicate that melanopsin may also contribute to visual perception, yet how and to what extent it does is not yet understood. There is also a lack of understanding of how the visual and non-visual responses to light interact.
Aim
To investigate, using qualitative and quantitative methods, the interaction between visual and non-visual responses elicited by melanopsin stimulation, with a particular focus on subjective experience and the factors influencing individual variations in response.
Methods
The project will consist of three phases: Phase 1) literature review, generation of stimuli and pupillometry testing, programming and piloting of main studies; Phase 2) main studies investigating the subjective experience of light stimuli differing in melanopic power and interactions between visual, emotional, and cognitive effects; and Phase 3) amalgamation and analysis of health and lifestyle data with all measured responses to light to explore individual variations and test predictive models of responses.
Outcomes
The research will enhance our understanding of how humans interact with and respond to light. It will address critical questions about the interaction between visual and non-visual responses, and ultimately help enable the optimal tailoring of lighting environments to optimise health and productivity through the effects of light on wellbeing and behaviour.