The dark side of the interface: examining the influence of different background modes on cognitive performance.

With the pivotal role that dark mode plays in user interface design, its widespread adoption across various applications and operating systems is evident. This study aims to investigate the potential effects of different background modes (light and dark) using cognitive ability tests and collect dem...

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Publicado en:Ergonomics Vol. 69; no. 5; pp. 828 - 842
Autores principales: Gazit, Tali, Tager-Shafrir, Tair, Zhong, Hua-Xu, Hung, Patrick C. K., Cheung, Vien
Formato: questionnaire/scale research tables/charts Journal Article
Publicado: Taylor & Francis Ltd May2026
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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      dt: May2026
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      pub: Taylor & Francis Ltd
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        10.1080/00140139.2025.2483451
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        atl: The dark side of the interface: examining the influence of different background modes on cognitive performance.
      aug:
        au:
          Gazit, Tali
          Tager-Shafrir, Tair
          Zhong, Hua-Xu
          Hung, Patrick C. K.
          Cheung, Vien
        affil: Department of Information Science, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
      sug:
        subj:
          User-Computer Interface
          Lighting
          Cognition Evaluation
          Task Performance and Analysis
          Age Factors
          Educational Status
          Sex Factors
          Human
          Comparative Studies
          Male
          Female
          Adolescence
          Adult
          Middle Age
          Aged
          Israel
          China
          United Kingdom
          South Korea
          Hong Kong
          Europe
          Asia
          South America
          North America
          Students, College
          Descriptive Statistics
          Visual Perception
          Experimental Studies
          Random Assignment
          Snowball Sample
          Power Analysis
          Data Analysis Software
          T-Tests
          Regression
          Repeated Measures
          Analysis of Variance
          Chi Square Test
          Adolescent: 13-18 years
          Adult: 19-44 years
          Middle Aged: 45-64 years
          Aged: 65+ years
          Male
          Female
      ab: With the pivotal role that dark mode plays in user interface design, its widespread adoption across various applications and operating systems is evident. This study aims to investigate the potential effects of different background modes (light and dark) using cognitive ability tests and collect demographic variables for analysis. A total of 173 participants from diverse geographic regions worldwide completed an online survey comprising cognitive tests. The experimental results demonstrate that cognitive scores were higher in light mode compared to dark mode. Additionally, younger adults performed significantly better than older adults in light mode, while participants with academic education scored higher than those without in dark mode. In both modes, men outperformed women. A majority of females prefer light mode, while a higher proportion of males feel comfortable with both modes. These findings address the gap in understanding the impact of dark mode, offering practical insights in inclusive design practices. Practitioner Summary: This study examines the effects of light and dark modes on cognitive performance and user preferences across different demographic variables. The results indicate that light mode generally enhances performance across all demographic groups. Males consistently outperformed females, younger adults scored higher than older adults in light mode, and participants with academic education performed better than those without in dark mode. Females preferred light mode and males were comfortable with both.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        questionnaire/scale
        research
        tables/charts
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
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