Which of the following settings directly affects the visual quality and clarity of images displayed on a monitor?

The visual quality and clarity of images displayed on a monitor are most directly influenced by resolution. Resolution refers to the number of pixels horizontally and vertically that compose the displayed image. Higher resolution generally means more pixels are used to create the image, which translates to finer detail and sharper clarity. For example, a 1920x1080 resolution contains significantly more pixels than a 1280x720 resolution, allowing for clearer images and text because more information can be represented on the screen.

While refresh rate impacts how smoothly motion is displayed and can affect the perception of quality during fast action sequences, it does not directly alter the clarity of static images. Color depth refers to the number of bits used to indicate the color of a single pixel and can affect how rich and varied the colors appear, but it does not inherently change the resolution of the image. Aspect ratio defines the proportional relationship between width and height but does not impact image clarity; it simply determines the shape of the display. Thus, resolution is the key factor that directly affects visual quality and clarity on a monitor.