Color psychology
Color psychology explores the impact of colors on human emotions and behaviors, suggesting that different hues can evoke specific feelings. Historically, cultures have associated colors with various meanings and moods; for instance, while Western societies often link white with purity and weddings, in India, red is the color of purity and is traditionally worn by brides. The field gained interest in psychology, particularly through figures like Carl Jung, who proposed that colors can express subconscious feelings and correlate with personality traits. Despite these insights, contemporary psychologists note that individual and cultural backgrounds significantly influence color perception, leading to diverse reactions based on personal experiences and cultural contexts. For example, while blue is commonly seen as calming, someone with negative associations to the color might feel anxious. In marketing, color is often leveraged to evoke specific responses, with varying degrees of success; red may encourage quick decisions in fast food contexts, while green is associated with health. However, due to the absence of universally consistent responses, marketers must consider cultural differences to avoid unintended negative effects. Overall, color psychology remains a nuanced field that balances emotional responses with cultural sensitivity.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Color psychology
Color psychology is the study of how various hues, or colors, affect people and their behavior. People have long believed that various colors evoke certain moods or emotions. As a result, a commonly held belief is that emotions and moods can be manipulated or changed through the use of different colors. For example, people sometimes perceive a product as being more expensive or healthier based on its color. Some also believe that people’s favorite color indicates something about their overall personality.
While colors do affect people’s moods, emotions, and behavior, other factors come into play. Personal and cultural background and color perception also play a role. For example, in many Western cultures, white is considered the color of purity and worn by brides for this reason. However, in India, red is the color associated with purity and most brides wear red dresses. When making purchases, people might consider or be swayed by the color, but price and other features are still important considerations. For example, a person may prefer the connotation of speed and flashiness that comes with a red car. However, he or she may choose a car in a different color because it is less expensive or on the lot and available.
Background
Color is the characteristic of an object that results from the way it reflects, absorbs, or emits light. Light from the sun or another source contains energy waves that include all colors. Objects either absorb or reflect some of these energy waves, and this creates the object’s color. Colors are seen based on the way the eye receives and the brain interprets the reflection or release of light from an object. This is why objects appear to be shades of gray when there is very little light.
Sir Isaac Newton (1643–1727) discovered that light is made up of different colors when he studied the way small points of sunlight coming through a curtained window could be split into different colors by a prism, or a triangular bar of glass. His discoveries provided a starting point for scientists to understand how color is formed.
Overview
The ancient Egyptians believed that colors could be used as part of a holistic approach to healing that takes into account all aspects of the patient, including his or her emotional and mental state. For example, they considered red to be a stimulating color that could help people with circulatory disorders and blue to be a calming color. They also used colors symbolically to convey concepts such as power, life, death, and immortality. For example, they associated the color black with death, so they often portrayed Osiris, the god of the dead, in black.
People in ancient China also associated colors with moods and other aspects of life. For example, they associated the color yellow with royalty because it represented power and authority, while they associated red with life, warmth, and good fortune. Numerous other ancient cultures used color in similar ways, though the meaning associated with each color varied widely.
When the field of psychology was being established, psychiatrists became interested in how color affects the human mind. The Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung (1875–1961) believed that the human subconscious uses color as a form of expression. He encouraged artistic expression as part of his approach to mental health therapy and promoted the idea that people perceive and relate to color in consistent and universal ways.
Jung also connected the four personality types as described by the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates (460–370 BCE) to specific colors. He associated bold, assertive people with red, people with a happy and sunny personality with yellow, those who are objective and analytical with blue, and those who are calm and tranquil with green.
Contemporary psychologists are somewhat less enthusiastic about the role color plays in a person’s mental health and outlook. Most acknowledge that color can be a factor. However, they note that a person’s cultural and personal past play a significant role in how he or she perceives colors. Because of this, there is no universal psychological effect prompted solely by color. For example, in Western cultures, black is the color of mourning. However, in some Eastern cultures, white is the color of mourning, and in some Middle Eastern cultures, purple is associated with mourning. As a result, people have different reactions to these colors, depending on their cultural background. In addition, people also have their own personal responses to colors. For example, although blue is often considered to be a calming, cool color, someone who was hurt by a person wearing a blue shirt may experience anxiety and stress when exposed to that color.
Nevertheless, marketers and businesses frequently use color to help convey additional meaning about their products. As Jung noted, when color does have an effect on human behavior, it is often at the subconscious level. For example, a product that is intended to appeal to people interested in health might feature green on the label to attempt to connect the product subliminally to nature. Containers for baby products like soap and detergent often use white to associate them with purity.
Factual evidence for the effectiveness of color psychology is mixed. Some studies have shown that it is effective. For example, many fast food restaurants use the color red because it encourages speed and faster turnover. Furthermore, the use of blue has proven to have a calming effect when used to paint a room. However, the lack of a universally consistent response to colors means that care needs to be used in employing colors as a marketing tool. Marketers and businesses that attempt to apply color psychology need to take into account the cultural differences in response to certain colors and adjust their approaches to avoid negative reactions.
Bibliography
Cherry, Kendra. “Color Psychology: Does It Affect How You Feel?” VeryWell Mind, 20 Feb. 2024, www.verywellmind.com/color-psychology-2795824. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.
Ciotti, Gregory. “Color Psychology in Marketing and Branding Is All About Context.” Help Scout, 8 Aug. 2024, www.helpscout.com/blog/psychology-of-color/. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.
“Communicating in Color: The Four Color Energies.” New Jersey Project Management Institute, www.pminj.org/14-smp/files/ckirby-ho.pdf. Accessed 28 March 2019.
“Egyptian Color Symbolism.” Colour Lovers, 20 Jan. 2010, www.colourlovers.com/blog/2010/01/20/egyptian-color-symbolism. Accessed 28 March 2019.
Hang, Tin Christopher. “Chinese Color Theory—The Symbolism of Color in Traditional Chinese Culture.” Virginia Commonwealth University, www.people.vcu.edu/~djbromle/color-theory/color01/Chinese-Color-Theory-The-Symbolism-of-Color-in-Traditional-Chinese-Culture.html. Accessed 28 March 2019.
Nicola, Stephanie. “What Is Color Psychology?” WebMD, 24 June 2024, www.webmd.com/mental-health/what-is-color-psychology. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.
Schwertly, Scott. “The History of Color Psychology.” Ethos3, 20 June 2014, www.ethos3.com/2014/06/the-history-of-color-psychology/. Accessed 28 March 2019.
Wolf, Talia. “Forget Everything You Know About Color Psychology and Read This Guide.” Get Up Lift, getuplift.co/color-psychology-guide/. Accessed 28 March 2019.