Colour and Psychology

Colour and Psychology

The colour red influences avoidance motivation. Japanese scientists conducted a study in which two different tasks were presented to participants. As is often the case, subjects were university students participating in the study in exchange for credit. Actually, reliance on student samples is commonplace is psychology and may be a limitation of research. Because so many samples consist of university students, it is believed that results may not be generalizable to the general population.

Thus, the authors hypothesized that the colour red would result in avoidance motivation and that the easier task of the two would be chosen. So, in the experiment there were two tasks of different difficulty. Also, the experimenters presented the two conditions wearing a green, red or white shirt. Indeed, subjects who interacted with the experimenter wearing a red shirt exhibited a strong preference for the easier task, as opposed to the green and white shirts and as predicted.

A field of colorful flowers. Illustration by Elena

The finding may serve as the basis for choosing colour schemes in the workplace, among other things. For example, industrial psychology and organizational behaviour may greatly benefit from these findings. Research shows many factors influencing productivity in the workplace, such as lighting and employee appreciation. Many results from psychological studies seem simple common sense. For example, employees feeling valued are more productive and show better employee morale. The assertion seems logical and many wonder why studies on such subjects are conducted.

Nonetheless, psychological research sheds light on many aspects of human behaviour. For example, the study discussed in the present short essay leads one to believe that it is possible to influence human behaviour using colours. The effects of colour influencing mood is nothing new, many choose the colours of the walls and house decor colour schemes based on psychological constructs. For example, light pastel colours such as blue or turquoise are believed to have a calming effect. However, clearly more research is needed to shed more light on the different ways that colour can impact human mood and behaviour.