How Are We Influenced by Color
Topic: How are we influenced by color?
Color is brightness and variety in something, such as a room or picture that gives it interest or immediacy. Color has been known to influence people’s psychological behaviors and associations with iconic objects or ideas. Dark colors are often associated with a somber attitudes, cold places, and even death. Bright colors are representative of euphoric feelings, warm places, and enrichment because they are the opposite of dark colors. Colors may also change behaviors and moods. If someone were acting aggressive, seeing a specific color, shade, or tint may calm or heighten their senses. Today, particular colors have even been trademarked in fashion to specific fashion designers and their products. Everywhere we go, we are being influenced by colors.
Color transmits meaning in two ways, natural and psychological. For example, in the article Color Symbolism Theories, it states that “a soft shade of blue triggers associations with the sky and a psychological sense of calm.” The article also uses green as a prominent example: “green’s associations with nature communicate growth, fruitfulness, freshness and ecology. On the other hand, green may also be symbolic of good luck, seasickness, and greed- all of which have nothing to do with green plants.” (Morton, Color Symbolism Theories) The article makes it clear that our minds may even subliminally convey different feelings depending on the colors we are exposed to.
A tint so simple as “pink” may have an incredible affect on people. It has been proven that a specific shade of pink, called Baker Miller Pink or Drunk Tank Pink, whose exact formula is R:255, G:145, B:175 will relax someone who is acting aggressive. In the Article, Drunk Tank Pink, “Dr. Alexander Schauss, Ph.D., …was the first to report the suppression of angry, antagonistic, and anxiety ridden behavior among prisoners: ‘Even if a person tries to be angry or aggressive in the presence of pink, he can’t. The
Color is brightness and variety in something, such as a room or picture that gives it interest or immediacy. Color has been known to influence people’s psychological behaviors and associations with iconic objects or ideas. Dark colors are often associated with a somber attitudes, cold places, and even death. Bright colors are representative of euphoric feelings, warm places, and enrichment because they are the opposite of dark colors. Colors may also change behaviors and moods. If someone were acting aggressive, seeing a specific color, shade, or tint may calm or heighten their senses. Today, particular colors have even been trademarked in fashion to specific fashion designers and their products. Everywhere we go, we are being influenced by colors.
Color transmits meaning in two ways, natural and psychological. For example, in the article Color Symbolism Theories, it states that “a soft shade of blue triggers associations with the sky and a psychological sense of calm.” The article also uses green as a prominent example: “green’s associations with nature communicate growth, fruitfulness, freshness and ecology. On the other hand, green may also be symbolic of good luck, seasickness, and greed- all of which have nothing to do with green plants.” (Morton, Color Symbolism Theories) The article makes it clear that our minds may even subliminally convey different feelings depending on the colors we are exposed to.
A tint so simple as “pink” may have an incredible affect on people. It has been proven that a specific shade of pink, called Baker Miller Pink or Drunk Tank Pink, whose exact formula is R:255, G:145, B:175 will relax someone who is acting aggressive. In the Article, Drunk Tank Pink, “Dr. Alexander Schauss, Ph.D., …was the first to report the suppression of angry, antagonistic, and anxiety ridden behavior among prisoners: ‘Even if a person tries to be angry or aggressive in the presence of pink, he can’t. The
Bibliography: Morton, J.L. "Color Symbolism Theories." 1995. Color Matters. 2 December 2012 <http://www.colormatters.com/color-symbolism/color-symbolism-theories>. —. "Drunk Tank Pink." 1995. Color Matters Web site. 2 December 2012 <http://www.colormatters.com/color-and-the-body/drunk-tank-pink>. —. "Shoes and Hues." 1995. Color Matters Web site. 2 December 2012 <http://www.colormatters.com/color-matters-blog/entry/blogs-a-news/shoes-and-hues>.