Color Psychology: An Introduction to How Different Colors Affect Human Behavior

Have you ever heard that looking at the sea is calming because it is blue? Or that red is the color of love? In baby showers and gender reveals, why does popping off a balloon filled with pink confetti instantly tells us it's a girl – or a boy if it's blue? Why are most fast-food chains red? Jollibee, Mcdo, KFC, Wendy's, Red Ribbon, Shakey's, and Max's restaurants are all red. Don't they want to stand out from the others? How about the stoplights? When and who decided that the colors of the stoplight would be green, yellow, and red to signal the cars to go, slow down, and stop, respectively?

Colors are everywhere. Everything that we can see has a corresponding color. There even is a job dedicated to putting colors to black-and-white artworks, recoloring old sepia pictures, and coloring an entire movie. They are colorists. They are the experts that specialize in studying, deciding, and giving colors to different types of works. Many would question the reason to specialize in colors. Colors are simple, right? Or so we think. Only a few are interested in studying colors because it is easy to dismiss as a mundane topic. But the fact that we see it every day, and in everything, makes it such a compelling subject. If colors have the ability, even a small possibility, to manipulate our behavior, would it not be a great power to be able to master it?

History of Colors and Color Theory

No records show who coined the term color psychology but the study of colors dates back to Aristotle, who considered the primary colors to be yellow and blue, parallel to the polarities of the sun and moon, respectively ("History of Color"). On the other hand, a physicist named Franciscus Agulonius argued against Aristotle's theory by devising a color system with

three primary colors: red, yellow, and blue. Then Aron Sigfrid Forsius came up with a color system with five main median colors being red, yellow, green, blue, and gray, and it became the first-ever recorded drawn color system.

That is until 1672, when Isaac Newton, who developed the first color spectrum in his book, Opticks ("History of Color"). He discovered that when the wavelengths of white light refracted at different angles, the light is divided into different several components, hence, the different colors. He found the colors red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet in that order. He took the last color, violet, and linked it to the first color, red, making the first recorded color wheel.

In 1810, over a century later, Johannes Wolfgang von Goethe wrote the book "Theory of Colours" where he disagreed with Newton's theory. He argued that if white light splits, it should split in any circumstance. However, when he lit a white light in the room, he observed that the center of the refraction is still mostly white and that only the edges show different colors. He concluded that in darkness, the first color that appears out is blue – like when we stare into the space at night and see a deep midnight blue instead of black, and when night visions are not truly as dark as black, it's just a very dark blue – and yellow as the first color seen out of light – like the sun in the sky. Like Aristotle, Goethe focused on the color yellow and blue.

Newton posited that the appearance of colors is an objective and measurable phenomenon. According to him, the colors we see are based on a series of white light refracting from different angles, thus being different colors, each with precise measurement, when it hits our eyes. Goethe argued that the color spectrum is not just a splitting of light and that colors are a segment in light. Instead, he argued that the color spectrum is a convergence of lightness and darkness, hence, colors are half-light; that darkness is as important as an ingredient of color together with white light.

Goethe also argued that it is not as measurable as it is, as its interpretation can be subjective. He is a poet, and when he studied the nature and functions of colors, he posited that different colors can affect our mood and emotions – which at the time when Newton's theories

were deemed as the logical one. Goethe's conclusion is mainly attributed to his poet's intuition, and on some accounts bordering on superstition (Popova), something that cannot be recklessly done and believed by scientists at the time. Nonetheless, even when Goethe's works were easily dismissed, his seminal work greatly influenced philosophers and physicists like Arthur Schopenhauer, who studied the connection of art and science and how it reveals the world, Kurt Godel, and Ludwig Wittgenstein. Essentially, Goethe started the discussion on how colors, a useful tool that helps us experience and realize the world, affects us biologically and culturally.

How do colors work?

Light and colors within it are wavelengths. Objects absorb and reflect these wavelengths. We only see what the objects reflect. So, when we see a red apple, the apple absorbs all other wavelengths except red, which is why perceive it as red (Pantone).

In the back of our eye, there is a receptor called the retina, which receives the light that enters our eyes. In the retina, there are cone-shaped photoreceptors that can process light as different wavelengths, which send electrical signals to the brain, and the brain interprets the image. (Marieb 311)

However, there are two pathways in which these electrical signals pass through when leaving the retina, through the bipolar cells and the ganglion cells. The bipolar cells send the signals to the optic, or visual, cortex, which is concerned in the image-forming process. The ganglion cells, on the other hand, send the signals into the hypothalamus, a region in the brain that is involved in secreting the hormones that regulate our body temperature, hunger, thirst, sexual functions, pain, pleasure, and emotions. (Marieb 307)

This confirms that there is physiological evidence that colors can affect our mood and behavior (Westland). But what does it do?

Definition of Color Psychology

Now that we have discussed the brief history of colors, the possible start of color psychology, and how colors work. When these colors then affect our behavior and thinking, consciously or unconsciously, it becomes the psychology of colors.

Meaning and Psychology of Colors

Inside Out (2015) is an animated film in which the main characters are the five core emotions – named Joy, Sadness, Anger, Disgust, and Fear. These emotions are depicted as the "controller" of one's emotions, which in the movie is a girl named Riley. Interestingly enough, the characters are of different colors – Joy being yellow, Sadness being blue, Anger being red, Disgust being green, and Fear being purple.

Color Psychology suggests that each color has a psychological property. Catalogs and "guides" about the meanings of colors can be found easily online. With just a simple click, one can find out what does it mean to receive a blue rose, or why Disgust, in the movie inside out, is color green.

The following interpretations of color are mostly based from the works and researches of Colour Affects, an organization that is dedicated to how colors work with our behavior, and interpretations of Nicholas Hill, a consultant who utilizes colors in developing leadership and management, Dana Przybyla, an artist who imposes that colors in art are more than just aesthetic, but can affect how we perceive the art and the world.

The Four Psychological Primary Colors

Colour Affects stated that there are four psychological primary colors – red, blue, yellow, and green ("Psychological Properties of Colors"). According to Hill, these colors "represent" our body, emotion, and mind ("Colour Psychology: The Four Primary Colours").

Red, in the electromagnetic spectrum, is the first color from the visible light category. This means that red has the widest wavelength, which is why although it is not the brightest of colors, it is the most attention-grabbing. It also tends to seem closer than it actually is, which

makes it, aside from attention-grabbing, a "strong" color (Hill). It is associated with strong terms like "war" and "aggression" (Przybyla). Red has the most physiological effects of all the colors. It can increase the heart rate and make us breathe faster. It triggers the fight and flight mechanism of our body (Hill). Its ability to gather attention easily and trigger immediate action is why it's used for traffic signal to stop and used for signs that signify stop, "do not" (i.e. no parking, do not enter, danger), or emergencies (fire alarm, fire exit signs, ambulance/fire truck lights). On the bright side, it also signifies energy and great passion. It signifies love (Przybyla) – which is why red roses are deemed as a very romantic gesture – with lust and sexuality as well. Red also stimulates the appetite, which is why most fast food establishments are red, or food with tomato sauces are prevalent (pasta, menudo, kaldereta).

Blue is an essentially soothing color. It greatly affects the mind (Hill). While red greatly affects us physiologically, blue affects us mentally. Blue is a universally accepted color (Przybyla). Unlike red, which different shades affect us, generally, in the same way, different shades of blue vary on its effects. Lighter shades of blue tend to be more friendly and relaxing, darker shades tend to be linked with coldness, intelligence, and feelings of inferiority (Przybyla). It is, as well, generally perceived as an endearing color. It is mostly associated with positive attributes across different cultures (Hill). This positive attribution is due to its abundance in the environment. It's predominantly attached to the vast sea and sky. The sea is an essential source of food and livelihood. The sky, however, is attached to the heavens and the gods. But aside from the general calming effects, blue is also linked with words like "trust", "loyalty", "dependability", and "reliability" – which is why most credit card companies or banks use blue as their main color (BDO, Metrobank, Security Bank, PNB, etc.). Blue is also linked with "communication", "intelligence", and "clarity of thought". Blue enhances clear communication and intellectual processes, which is why many offices use a combination of blue and gray for the walls – and shades of blue and black for uniforms ("Office Color Schemes: The Psychology of Productivity") – as blue is known to induce and boost productivity, and efficiency. If you follow these concepts, the mix of trust and communication makes blue a great color for social media application logos, especially instant messaging applications (i.e. Facebook, Messenger, Twitter), which is marketed for communication purposes. While blue has a lot of positive attributes, it can also seem "cold", "aloof", and "empty". Rooms with blue walls are deemed as gloomy and

melancholy. Its attribution to the sea and sky also partakes why it seems distant (Popova). It stimulates feelings of inferiority. Blue makes us feel far from where it is, which brings forth feelings of unattainability and depression. It also induces a feeling of isolation and emotional unavailability. Although earlier stated that it is used as the main color theme in offices, too much of it makes offices seem a bit boring, bland, and unfamiliar. Blue is also deemed as an "unappetizing" color. It could be explained due to the natural lack of edible and safe things in the environment. Blue fruits are easily deemed as poisonous, so as venom blue saps.

Yellow is the brightest color in the color spectrum, which makes it the most noticeable, like red but red is rather an attention-grabbing color than noticeable. Yellow is greatly attributed to human emotion (Hill), like how red and blue affect our body and mind respectively. Yellow generally stimulates "positive thinking" and "confidence". Yellow also uplifts our self-esteem and stimulates our social and friendly selves. It gives us a feeling of superiority and congeniality. It enables us to think of how others see us. In Przybyla's words, "it feeds the ego and the self- esteem". It is the color of the sun, which induces a feeling of "vitality". It is also associated with "creativity", "great ideas", and "focus". That's why many would say that writing in yellow paper, or using yellow pens and highlighters, are great tips for studying (Przybyla). The bright yellow bulb that "pops" out of your head when you instantaneously think of a great idea is also attributed to these effects of yellow. A bouquet of yellow flowers brings forth feelings of "great joy" and the person that receives it is deemed as "bright" and "radiant" by the giver. Yellow is also deemed as "dynamic" and "entertaining", which is why offices whose outputs require employees to be creative, dynamic, and entertaining (like magazine companies, and interior design firms) utilize the color yellow to design the look and feel of the office. Although yellow is generally positive, the misuse of it can also posit negative feelings (Hill). It is deemed as a "vulnerable" color and "liable of contamination" (Popova). The misuse of yellow consists of wrong placements, inappropriate shades, and incorrect mix with other colors. Yellow tends to give off feelings of anxiety (Przybyla), next to the red. Dangerous signs, such as for high electrical voltage and toxic and/or poisonous chemicals, use yellow. Yellow is also used in traffic lights to signal cars to slow down, and traffic signs which imply them to slow down (i.e. pedestrian crossing, intersections). Police tapes are also yellow with the words "Police line: do not cross" printed on it. So yellow can generally induce stress and anxiety as it is a "rapid-

moving" color (Przybyla). Shades of yellow also affect us differently. Bright yellows tend to give off most of these positive feelings, while faded ones signify lack of confidence and dark shades tend to look "cynical" and "jealousy".

The last primary color, green, is deemed to harmonize these three strong colors. Green is deemed as a "germane" (Hill) color. Because it is in the middle of the spectrum. It is mostly attributed to the word "balance". It is the most abundant color in nature. When the environment has a lot of green, it symbolizes the presence of water, the minimal danger of the wild, and no anticipated starvation, so it gives us relief instinctively or primitively. It makes us feel safe. According to Hill, the color green has a "striking appearance but it does not impose", this enables everyone to appreciate this color in all shades and tones. Blue, when mixed with green, adds a feeling of warmth to the generally cold color. Green is the result of the equal mix of blue and yellow, so it makes sense that the mix of calm, intelligence, vitality, and happiness results in feelings of safety. While blue can be calming, sea-green is more comforting and has a sense of life. Yellow-green is also favorable as it stabilizes the overwhelming appearance of yellow. A lemon itself looks bright, simply just an object that is used to make lemonades or something that will brighten a dull taste. But the appearance of leaves makes it seem alive or fresh. Green gives a feeling of life and a sense of a natural state to just a simply bright place. That's why adding plants to a bland room gives off a feeling of home or general relief. However, it can symbolize stagnation and too much green can look bland, which induces boredom.

Other colors

These four primary colors are generally labeled as "strong" colors. However, several interpretations also emerge from other colors.

Orange is the mix of red, which is attributed to power, and yellow, which induces happiness and cheerfulness. So, in result, orange signifies energy and endurance. So subtle hints of orange are good for that boost you need after hours of work. It is also why Enervon multivitamins use orange, gives us enthusiasm and energy to power through the day, and Enervon is exactly marketed to do that. It could also explain why Shopee uses orange, as orange encourages us to give in to our desires. This could be seen as a marketing tactic by Shopee to

encourage consumers to jump from one product to another. However, orange can also seem superficial, like its energy is entirely dependent on the appearance of other colors but cannot stand alone as it will seem over-bearing.

Violet, or purple, is the mix of red and blue, therefore the perfect balance of the intensity of red and the relaxed state of blue. It is deemed as a spiritual color. It has the shortest wavelength and is the last color in the spectrum, so unlike red and yellow which is quickly comprehended, violet tends to require higher levels of thinking. This could be bright purples that are deemed as a royal color. Although the royalty of the color purple also dates back centuries ago. Then, the dye used to make purple fabric is obtained from a small mollusk that can be found only in the Tyre region of the Mediterranean Sea, which makes it so expensive only royalties can afford to buy it and wear purple clothes (Melina "Why Is the Color Purple Associated With Royalty?") Since it has blue, its interpretation varies depending on its shade. Bright colors give off feelings of royalty, as stated earlier, and is also linked to words like "wealth", "luxury", and "extravagance". Lighter shades portray a soft, feminine image (Przybyla), while darker shades give off feelings of frustration and fear. Nature also lacks purple hues, so it could seem rare and delicate.

Pink is a very interesting color. It's generally attributed to beauty and femininity. Although, the softness of pink can seem like a symbol of physical weakness. Pink is a muted shade of red. So it is said that it minimizes the aggression that red brings. And pink represents a gentle love, unlike the passionate love that red represents.

The Baker-Miller pink is also a groundbreaking concept in color psychology. A certain shade of pink was used to paint the correctional facilities in the belief that it will reduce fights amongst prisoners, and it surprisingly did. So succeeding researchers wanted to find out why and how a certain shade of pink did that. Schauss found out that although minimal, the result is still significant and confirms that pink affects our physiological response to suppress aggression. Gilliam and Unruh found resembling results through their study. They experimented on two groups of people, the first one being exposed to a white room then to a Baker-Miller pink one, and vice versa for the other group. Surprisingly, they found out that pink lowers the blood

pressure, pulse rate, and grip strength of all the subjects in both groups. Although, it didn't have any effect on their cognitive behavior. So the researchers advise caution in utilizing pink for this sole purpose.

White is the total reflection of all colors. It is commonly associated with "purity", "sterility", "innocence", "simplicity", and "integrity". Receiving a white flower would usually mean that you are deemed as an innocent person. The heightened perception of space is also attributed to white. Since it reflects all colors, it would seem spacious. This is why in interior design, white walls are used to make the room feel bigger. Its attribution to "sterility" and "hygiene", however, is seen in hospitals. This idea is also why it is attributed to "cleanliness" and requires it to be maintained like that. As Colour Affects has stated, "It communicates, 'Touch me not!'". Its negative connotations consist of "emptiness", "barriers", and "elitism".

Black, on the other hand, absorbs all colors. Black is associated with "sophistication" and "mystery" (Przybyla). Just like how a formal dinner of people with a sophisticated lifestyle can be easily imagined with mean in black suits and women in black formal dresses. It also gives a feeling of strength and "security", which is why brands involved in security concerns, typically go for black together with investigative and undercover agencies. The mystery also comes with "being secretive" and "cold-hearted". Black can easily be seen to have an overwhelming amount of power that can both be positive and negative effects.

Gray generally signifies neutrality. Gray is a mix of black and white. Oddly enough, even when black and white perfectly complement each other, it does not create the same effect when mixed. It is deemed as "gothic" and "industrial". It is the colors attributed to engineering and architecture (Przybyla). Although it can generate feelings of boredom, dullness, and depression, it can generate sophistication and stability. Gray's attribution to stability can also be linked to the color of cement. It is also attributed to "conformity" and "uniformity". It doesn't have a personality of its own. According to Colour Affects, "heavy use of grey usually indicates a lack of confidence and fear of exposure". Although in interior design, grey is usually used in offices, but can also be used to accent and highlight the small pieces, or bright colors in the room.

To top it all off, the color brown signifies the earth we live in. Together with green, it gives a feeling of stability and abundance. Brown is also linked to "maturity" and "resilience" as it is attributed to the solid ground and the sturdy trees around us.

The Reliability of Color Psychology

We can't deny that all of these explanations make sense. It's very easy to believe too and very easy to follow, but should we?

Color Psychology is commonly used as a personality indicator. Through this concept, the colors you prefer and steer away from describe what you like and don't like, and describes you in different aspects of life, like your relationships with others and how you deal with things. It is like astrology, but instead of stars, they do it with color.

There's also Chromotherapy, or color therapy, a pseudoscience that claims colors as healing tools. According to Galyen, a licensed clinical social worker, and a board-certified telemental health provider, chromotherapy uses colors and its frequencies to "heal physical and emotional problems". Although, this practice dates back to Ancient Egypt, it is still practiced today. They assess what energy you "lack" or "need" or "dominantly have", and uses colors to add, fix, and stabilize these concerns. It is not commonly accepted, especially of the people of science and medicine, because of the lack of evidence on how it exactly "heals the body".

Color Psychology is also believed in by many artists, as it helps them convey the feeling they want to express through their art. Artists believe that the colors they use will help them create the art, and at the same time, help the audience understand and appreciate it.

Colors are a vital tool in marketing and branding. Color Psychology now is used to assess what colors perfectly represent a brand and how to use these colors in their logo and advertisement. Graphic artists believe that the logo creates an important and lasting image of the company, and so picking the appropriate colors to incorporate in the design is very crucial. Companies such as Jollibee, McDonald's, BDO, Metrobank, and Enervon utilized the power of colors to market their brands successfully.

But as promising as Color Psychology can be, it also has its drawbacks.

The meanings of colors are born from associations. With previous discussions, many of the reasons were based on our primitive and instinctive nature. The safety that green brings comes from its association with nature. The sturdiness of trees led us to associate brown with stable. The number of red organs and blood in our body makes red a physiological trigger.

Some associations were not born through nature. Some are shaped by events in history. Just like how the issue of colors and gender came to be. Before the 1950s, pink is considered a color that can be worn by both men and women. A catalogue in 1918 actually recommended pink for the boys and blue for the girls as pink is deemed as a strong color and blue is a perfect dainty color for the girls. When Dwight Eisenhower became president of the United States, her wife, Mamie Eisenhower, wore a pink, elegant dress in his inauguration, an odd idea back then as women of the World War II wore clothes in black and blue shades. Ever since, the first lady was popularly known to love the color pink. People associated pink with being "ladylike", so that marked the start of the pink-is-feminine phenomenon.

A perfect example of the mix of both kinds of association touches the issue of colors in racism. Some accounts would say that the natural association of brown with dirt and white with cleanliness brought forth the primitive instinct of racism. History can also present the many accounts of slavery to prove the roots of light-skin-superiority. However, like how pink turned feminine from being a masculine color, it couldn't have stayed that way, but it did.

We, ourselves, also make our personal associations. We form associations based on our past experiences and preferences. Red, even though it imposes danger, can be calming for some. Color psychology could tell you that wearing yellow could give you confidence, but for others, wearing black does the same thing. One might associate blue as calming, but it can bring fear and anxiety to a person who was once hit by a blue car. It is thus evident that the universality and relativity of color psychology is largely at question.

The study of colors is still a relatively young branch of science. It still needs to undergo many tests and theories for us to be able to fully understand it and truly realize its power and potential. However, we cannot deny that colors are indeed a powerful thing. We should just know how and when to rely on it.

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