Impact of Lighting Conditions on Students’ Attention: A Neuroarchitecture Study of Corelated Color Temperature in a Virtual Learning Environment

Indoor environment is a critical factor for learning efficiency, with attention as a crucial cognitive function. However, research on cognitive processes underlying attention remains limited and many studies depend only on subjective assessments. This paper aims to identify the influence of interior lighting, particularly correlated color temperature (CCT) on students’ attention. A quantitative experiment was conducted in a virtual classroom with 21 university students, aged 21–23. Participants completed the Stroop Color-Word test while immersed in VR using the Meta Quest 2 headset. Attention was assessed through: accuracy rate, reaction time, performance indicator (PI) and heart rate difference, subjective preferences were then collected. Results showed significantly higher performance under 4300 K and 6500 K CCTs, these conditions were also the most preferred among participants; yet, no significant difference in heart rate was observed. Findings support integration of neuroarchitecture lighting strategies in virtual learning environments. Abbreviations: AC, Accuracy Rate; ANOVA, Analysis of Variance; bpm, Beats per Minute; CCT, Correlated Color Temperature; 6DoF, Degrees of Freedom; EEG, Electroencephalography; EDA, Electrodermal Activity; FOV, Field of View; GSR, Galvanic Skin Response; HMD, Head-Mounted Display; HR, Heart Rate; HRV, Heart Rate Variability; IPQ, Igroup Presence Questionnaire; ipRGCs, Intrinsically Photosensitive Retinal Ganglion Cells; CIE, International Commission on Illumination; mel-EDI, Melanopic Equivalent Daylight Illuminance; PI, Performance Indicator; RT, Reaction Time; SD, Standard Deviation; SSQ, Simulator Sickness Questionnaire; SPSS, Statistical Package for the Social Sciences; SDGs, Sustainable Development Goals; SCN, Suprachiasmatic Nucleus; VR , Virtual Reality.