Green will help us feel relaxed and red can increase our heart rate. While there are various claims that colors have a direct effect on our human mind, we still should know if there are any scientific basis to these assumptions.
Majority of the psychologist will agree that color will influence the way we look at a certain situation. However, there are others who believe that its affect can be learned.
For instance, red can indicate a dangerous situation but on other places it can symbolize good fortune. Understanding how color affects the brain can help us incorporate this on different aspects of lives.
An Overview on How Color Affects the Brain
Just like our ear that also assists us in keeping our balance, our eyes also have two functions.
The cones that are found in the retina are light-sensitive type of cells that sends signal directly to the visual cortex where the image will be formed.
There are also ganglion cells that transmits signal to the region of the brain that will not help in forming the image. This has strengthened the physiological story that light and the color can indeed influence our mood and personality.
Red
We mentioned above how red has been associated to danger and fortune. However, there are other bizarre ways on how red can affect by our brain. It is also supported by different scientific studies.
In a 2012 study, they found out that the waitresses that wear red uniform will be getting tip that is around 14.6%-26.1% higher compared to waitresses that are wearing other colors.
Interestingly, the red will not affect the amount of tips given by the female customers. This is perhaps due to the notion that red can increase the person’s sex appeal.
Red can also have influence over the speed and power of the person’s reaction. Based on the research conducted at the University of Rochester, human’s reaction will be more powerful when they are exposed to red.
In the same study, it also revealed that red can negatively affect your emotion. A student that was exposed to red before the exam will have a worse performance.
When putting an item on an auction, try to put the item on a red background. A study that was published at the University of Chicago Press Journal revealed that red can amplify the aggression and boost the bid level.
Orange
Orange is a unique color. It may not be associated with a distinct emotion, but it will affect us in different ways. This has been reinforced by researches performed by credible agencies.
Orange is a warm color that tends to calm our nerves and muscles. In the 1979 study, the experts found out that orange has a weakening effect on our endocrine that will relax the muscle.
Orange can also wire our brain to associate the goods on something excellent or quality. Any stores that will incorporate the orange shade to their logo can deliver a message to their customers that they are providing materials with good value.
Yellow
Yellow can boost our friendliness, happiness, and openness. According to some color psychologists, yellow is believed to be one of the strongest colors since it has a powerful effect to our brain.
Based on the study entitled “The Effects of Color on the Mood of College Students”, yellow is the color associated with creativity, emotion, and self-esteem.
The emotion that can be highlighted with yellow would be happiness. This is perhaps why this color is related with optimism, hope, and comedy. You will notice how people will be much happier when it is a sunny day.
Green
Green is a wonderful color that pertains to nature. A product that has a green packaging will make you think that it is made from all-organic ingredient.
Green also have a healing effect. Being exposed in a room filled with green can make us feel refreshed.
A study showed that green can boost the person’s creativity. The group of psychologists also discovered that this color is related with intricate thinking and high level of relaxation, calm action and inward-focus.
When people think about green, it is so common for us to think about nature and growth. Therefore, it will not be difficult to think of our professional and personal growth when we are exposed to something green.
Light Blue
Blue is the opposite of red. If the red can increase our blood pressure and boost our heart rate, light blue improves your concentration and regulates your blood pressure and heart rate.
This is probably why people will feel more relaxed on the presence of nurse in blue scrubs.
According to another study at Carnegie Melon University, light blue can instruct our brain to be calmer and more open. It is universally accepted as the color of peace.
Dark Blue
The effect of the dark blue to our brain can be strikingly similar to light blue. It has been discovered that it can calm the nerves of people.
However, it can also have other distinctive effect on your brain. It has a strong relation to clear thought and powerful blues.
The effect of dark blue on our brain has been applied on the streets of Japan. They believed that by introducing blue streetlights, they will be able to reduce the crime rate and prevent suicides.
After using blue streetlights, the crime rate has drop to more than 9%. This theory was also applied in London. There are also studies that has varying result in terms of the contrast of dark blue and red.
In one study, they found out that being exposed on red can boost the performance of a person. The blue color can also encourage the participants to boost their creative outputs.
Purple
Purple is a unique color that can be produced by combining red and blue. As aforementioned, these colors are contrasting that will produce a different effect to our brain.
However, they may not be enough studies that will prove the effect of this color. In a single study, painting a room with this color will make it appear cooler. Purple can apparently make our muscle stiff.
Pink
Pink has been universally used as the color for baby girls. Today, it is also being used as the color of the shorts of every frat member.
Experts also realized that pink prison will also have psychological effect and can alter the behavior of the prisoners.
A study conducted last 1979 proved that painting the room with bubblegum pink will have a bizarre influence on the prisoners.
The inmates have showed a more docile behavior and their muscles became less tensed. The frustration and restlessness among inmates have greatly reduced.
Now, around 20% of the prison found in Switzerland will have a cell painted with pink that will be reserved to unruly prisoners.
This theory has also been applied with the children of San Bernardino County. They discovered that it will only take about 10 minutes for the aggressive kids to stop yelling when they were placed in the pink cell.
White
White can instruct our brain to be less-aggressive. Nonetheless, the white color can also make the man appear to be more attractive.
Based on the 2010 study, women will find men wearing white short more appealing. This is the same concept when women are wearing red. This is probably because our brain associates white with purity and cleanliness.
Most hospitals will paint their ceilings and walls white to make their place look spotless and pristine. White can also have negative effect that will make the person experience boredom.
Any room with a monochromatic white paint can decrease the person’s attention span. If you are planning to open a retail store, you should try to cover it with different colors.
Black
Black has been defined as the absence of the color and most kids fear something black. Adults will use black to appear a lot slimmer. Nonetheless, the black will interact with our brain in a rather unique manner.
The outcome will be efficient when the action is conducted in a black environment.
Black can also improve the women’s attractiveness. People will think that she is fashionable.
In a research that was completed last 1988, people will appear to be more aggressive when they were exposed to something black.
People are ready to pay higher when the marketing of the product involves the use of the black color.
Conclusion
After these numerous studies, it is now clear that color can affect the person apart from the vision. The discovery that signals will be sent from the eye to the brain that is not responsible for forming image has prompted additional research on how person reacts when exposed to certain colors.
Today, the availability of these colors using colored LED light bulbs has also encourage the needs to conduct additional studies in this field.
Through these studies, we will be able to learn more on how color affects the brain. It will now be easier for us to separate the claims that are based on the tradition and intuition to the facts that are supported by scientific data.
Many thanks for taking the time to read this article !