Research Design Connection: Adding Bright Light

Newly published research indicates it’s a good idea to make sure that people leaving a space at night or in the early morning are exposed to bright light (5600 lux). This can be accomplished by cycling lights so that they are bright at the end of a work period or brightly lighting areas people will frequent before leaving, such as locker rooms. Researchers have determined that “bright light at the end of a night shift may have potential as a countermeasure to improve driving performance, particularly for…commutes that occur before dawn.”

“Bright Light After Night Shift May Enhance Alertness and Cognitive Performance.” 2015. Press release, American Academy of Sleep Medicine, http://www.aasmnet.org/articles.aspx?id=5627.

Sally Augustin, PhD, a cognitive scientist, is the editor of Research Design Connections (www.researchdesignconnections.com), a monthly subscription newsletter and free daily blog, where recent and classic research in the social, design, and physical sciences that can inform designers’ work are presented in straightforward language. Readers learn about the latest research findings immediately, before they’re available elsewhere. Sally, who is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association, is also the author of Place Advantage: Applied Psychology for Interior Architecture (Wiley, 2009) and, with Cindy Coleman, The Designer’s Guide to Doing Research: Applying Knowledge to Inform Design (Wiley, 2012). She is a principal at Design With Science (www.designwithscience.com) and can be reached at sallyaugustin@designwithscience.com.