Color psychology
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Color psychology is a field of study devoted to analyzing the effect of color on human behavior and feeling. Color psychology is an immature field of study viewed dubiously by mainstream psychologists and therefore qualifies as "alternative medicine". Critics view it as an overstatement of what can be justified by research, and point out that different cultures have completely different interpretations of color.
A separate and distinct field that is part of current medical practice is phototherapy. An example of this is the use of ultraviolet light to cure jaundice in babies. Also called light therapy, these treatments would work in systems isolated from the brain or consciousness, and do not rely on an emotive response.
Practitioners of color psychology, sometimes called color consultants, claim there are a number of reactions to color which seem to be noted in most persons. They also note that common physiological effects often accompany the psychological effects.
Color consultants claim hues in the red area of color are typically viewed as "warm" while those in the blue and green range are typically viewed as "cool". Reds are also viewed as active and exciting, while the blues and greens are viewed as soothing and passive. Physiological tests have revealed similar responses. It's claimed that red hues increase bodily tension and stimulate the autonomic nervous system, while "cool" hues release tension.
Color consultants also point to an increasing number of studies linking colors to specific responses. One study found that weight lifters have more powerful performances in blue rooms, and another study found that babies cry more frequently in yellow rooms. Color consultants believe that the colors used in the design of environment can have a significant impact on the emotions and performance of people within that environment.
Although color psychology is a relatively new area of scientific research, ancient civilizations believed in the influence of color on humans. The ancient Chinese, Egyptians, and Indians believed in chromotherapy, or healing with colors.
Criticism
Most evidence suggests the lack of a single, universal psychological reaction to a particular color. For example, death is symbolized by black in most Western cultures and by white in many Eastern cultures. Even members of the same culture from different age groups can act differently.
Cultural Contexts of Colors
Here are some common cultural connotations attached to colors in Western cultures, particularly in the United States:
| Color | Positives | Negatives |
| Red | Passion, strength, energy, fire, love, sex, excitement, speed, heat, leadership, masculinity, power | Danger, fire, blood, war, anger, revolution, radicalism, aggression, stop |
| Blue | Seas, skies, stability, peace, unity, harmony, tranquility, calmness, coolness, confidence, water, ice, loyalty, conservatism, dependability, cleanliness, technology, winter | Depression, coldness, obscenity, conservatism, technology, ice, winter |
| Green | Nature, spring, fertility, youth, environment, wealth, money (US), good luck, vigor, generosity, go, grass</FONT> | Inexperience, envy, misfortune, jealousy, money, illness, greed |
| Yellow | Sunlight, joy, happiness, optimism, idealism, wealth (gold), summer, hope, air | Cowardice, illness (quarantine), hazards, dishonesty, avarice |
| Purple | Elegance, sensuality, spirituality, creativity, wealth, royalty, nobility, ceremony, mystery, wisdom, enlightenment | Cruelty, arrogance, mourning, profanity, exaggeration, confusion |
| Orange | Energy, balance, heat, fire, enthusiasm, flamboyance, playfulness | Warning, danger, fire |
| White | Reverence, purity, snow, peace, innocence, cleanliness, simplicity, security, humility, marriage, sterility, winter | Coldness, sterility, clinical, surrender, cowardice, fearfulness, winter |
| Black | Power, sophistication, formality, elegance, wealth, mystery, style | Evil, death, fear, anonymity, anger, sadness, remorse, mourning, unhappiness, mystery |
Various cultures see color differently. In India, blue is associated with Krishna (a very positive association), green with Islam, red with purity (used as a wedding color) and brown with mourning. In most Asian cultures, yellow is the imperial color with many of the same cultural associations as purple has in the west. In China, red is symbolic of celebration, luck and prosperity; white is symbolic of mourning and death, while green hats mean a man’s wife is cheating on him. In Europe colors are more strongly associated with political parties than they are in the U.S. In many countries black is synonomous with conservatism, red with socialism, while brown is still immediately associated with the Nazis. Many believe that blue is universally the best color as it has the most positive and fewest negative cultural associations across various cultures.
Studies have shown most colors have more positive than negative associations, and even when a color has negative association, it is normally only when used in a particular context.