Psychological Factors and Sex Differences in Acceptance of Monovision

• Published in: Perceptual and motor skills Vol. 91; no. 3_suppl; pp. 1113 - 1119
• Main Authors: Erickson, Deborah B., Erickson, Paul
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01-12-2000; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subjects: Accommodation, Ocular; Adult; Aged; Contact Lenses - psychology; Differences; Distance Perception; Extraversion (Psychology); Eyes & eyesight; Female; Functional Laterality; Gender; Humans; Individuality; Introversion (Psychology); Male; Middle Aged; Patient Acceptance of Health Care - psychology; Presbyopia - psychology; Presbyopia - therapy; Psychological aspects; Sex Factors; Vision, Monocular
• ISSN: 0031-5125; 1558-688X
• DOI: 10.2466/pms.2000.91.3f.1113

49 participants, adapted to using contact lenses, completed a battery of psychological tests to examine differences between persons who were successful in wearing monovision lenses for presbyopia and those who were unsuccessful. Although visual performance and requirements strongly affect participants' satisfaction with monovision lenses, personality characteristics and visual processing styles appear to influence the percentage of full-time wear. Of the participants, 41% (20 of 49) ultimately rejected monovision for a variety of both visual and psychological reasons. Sex differences were evidenced in the psychological variables correlated to monovision lens wear. Analysis indicated that men scoring as introverts rejected monovision while women with difficulty perceiving a visual pattern against visual background noise had difficulty adapting to monovision and exhibited shorter wearing times.