Though one may not always be aware of it, color permeates every aspect of the daily life of humans. Color is present in everything people see, from the grandest landscapes created by nature to the manufactured world of architecture and art. Thus, it inexorably has an impact on people’s lives and consciousness. Color can convey emotion or beauty in works of art, mood, or atmosphere in works of literature, and it plays a broader role than most people realize. Humans respond differently to each color, experiencing various physiological and psychological changes that are as distinctive as the color itself. People are just beginning to understand and utilize the complex relationships between colors and emotions, which makes sense given that awareness of color’s significance has only lately become widely accepted. However, color has a profound psychological effect on user behavior.
Wherever they are used and viewed, colors have always intrigued and aroused human curiosity. Many essential behavioral functions have been linked to colors, including processing financial information, making purchases, identifying materials, recognizing objects, and social-sexual signaling (Laing and Pernarella 16). Colors have been used in building and interior design since the dawn of humankind. Early humans employed floral pigments to create engravings and paintings throughout the Paleolithic epoch (Rogers 57). Therefore, there is a long connection between colors and decor. How a given color is used and its intended use has changed dramatically. Early on, it was only known for aesthetic purposes, with no clear understanding or meaning.
Nevertheless, this ideology has evolved recently. Today, colors are given the same consideration as light or any other interior design component. Before choosing how to use colors in a space, one must understand their subtleties.
When colors are employed in interior design, their ability to influence one’s mood and feelings about various things and environments is their most intriguing quality. Therefore, it is crucial to comprehend how color combinations and particular hues affect behavioral patterns in an interior setting. For example, the colors inside a café can make someone feel comfortable while raising their energy levels. In contrast, when one enters a hospital, the colors are soothing and subdued, helping to create a healing environment for the patient’s quick recovery and a cheerful and hopeful mood for the visitors.
Children under the age of seven have the strongest correlation between color and emotions, which steadily declines as people age. Adults’ mental health benefits from living near the shore or in an area with a blue color coverage have been the subject of many studies (Pearson et al. 563). Blue conjures images of freshness, serenity, and gravity (Yen-Cheng et al. 115). However, red and yellow are popular colors among children and are thus linked to positive feelings such as happiness. The brightness of the color also influences children’s preferences, with brighter colors being more strongly linked to good feelings. However, unlike adults, children are less likely to relate specific colors to emotions, such as envy or wrath, to green or red.
Even if the links are not as strong as in youngsters, color associations grow considerably more complicated in adults. The saturation factor illustrates this element of adult interactions with color. Yellow is regarded in different ways in adults compared to youngsters because people tend to view colors with high saturation as more exciting and powerful than colors with low saturation. Children perceive yellow similarly to red, which both adults and children identify with excitement, emotion, or action, whereas adults see yellow as dull and unexciting. It is undeniable that practically all colors are connected to specific traits or feelings. Red, arguably the most robust and emotive color, should be taken into account first on the color wheel. Red is typically linked to the excitement, which may be seen in either a positive or negative way (Kayser et al.). The eye must physically shift to focus on the wavelength of red because it has a focal point behind the retina. Red items thus dominate other colors and give the impression of being closer than it is.
Brighter colors and the shades that come from them naturally evoke more positive emotions in most people. However, despite being comparable to red, orange has little emotional or symbolic meaning. Though much more mellow than red, it is typically vibrant and energetic. Yellow is the happiest hue, despite being frequently thought of as dull due to its lightness. Yellow often denotes illumination or expansion. Green is the next color wheel color and represents a contrast in emotions. It occasionally conjures up a calming, peaceful mood, yet it can frequently conjure up feelings of remorse or envy. Blue is the color that adults and children prefer the most, being connected to the mind and, in general, calming (Jagyasi). Blues with a softer hue are relaxing and aid in concentration, being the opposite of red and also symbolize quiet or tranquility.
These examples clearly illustrate the connections people make between colors and their surroundings, but by examining cross-cultural examples, we can learn even more about these connections. All the cultures looked at, from Native Americans to Poles, associate red and black with fury. This would imply a biological foundation for some correlations between colors and emotions. However, given that priests and judges frequently wear black and that red can represent love and fertility, these colors have different symbolic meanings. According to Bhattacharya and Shukla, the other hues, such as silver, represent feelings and sensitivity, while gold is the hue of accomplishment and victory (503). This kind of extended variance supports a more sophisticated connection hypothesis.
The fact that green is only connected to jealousy in America lends more credence to the idea that color associations are rooted in cultural learning. However, some researchers stated that the color green has a positive valence, denoting pleasure, serenity, and happiness (Gil and Bigot e104291). For instance, it has been demonstrated that red and green help people remember negative statements better than positive ones. Purple has a wide range of cultural connotations. As indicated, it is seen as having authority and respect in America. While the Japanese equate it with sin and dread, the Navajos relate it with happiness. Additionally, it connotes rage, envy, and jealousy in the minds of Poles.
In conclusion, despite the need for additional study on color associations, it is evident that colors play a role in people’s daily lives. Colors appear to substantially impact various physical impressions of daily living and emotional reactions. The perception of time, distance, weight, temperature, and even noise can all be influenced by colors. Humans are affected by colors on a biological and cultural level, which aids their ability to comprehend the world more precisely. In addition, colors have a significant role in one’s identity and worldview.
Works Cited
Bakhshi, Saeideh, and Eric Gilbert. “Red, Purple and Pink: The Colors of Diffusion on Pinterest.” PLOS ONE, vol. 10, no. 2, 2015, p. e0117148, Web.
Bhattacharya, Apana, and Archana Shukla. “Why Do the Elderly Have to Be Grey and Brown?” Indian Journal of Positive Psychology, vol. 5, no. 4, 2014, pp. 502–504. ProQuest, Web.
Jagyasi, Prem. “Understand the Psychological Effects of Color on Human Behavior before Getting a Paint Job.” ProQuest, 2018. Web.
Kayser, Daniela N., et al. “Strategic Sexual Signals: Women’s Display Versus Avoidance of the Color Red Depends on the Attractiveness of an Anticipated Interaction Partner.” PLoS One, vol. 11, no. 3, 2016. ProQuest, Web.
Laing, Gregory, and Ilario Pernarella. “The Influence of Colour on Human Behaviour: A Retrospective.” E-Journal of Social & Behavioural Research in Business, vol. 12, no. 1, 2021, pp. 14–23. ProQuest, Web.
Pearson, Amber L., et al. “Measuring Blue Space Visibility and ‘Blue Recreation’ in the Everyday Lives of Children in a Capital City.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, vol. 14, no. 6, 2017, pp. 563. ProQuest, Web.
Rogers, Adam. “Full spectrum: how the science of color made us modern.” Houghton Mifflin, 2021.
Yen-Cheng, Chen, et al. “Can Plate Colour Promote Appetite and Joy while Dining? an Investigative Study in Chinese Fine Dining Restaurants.” Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, vol. 33, no. 1, 2020, pp. 105–116. ProQuest, Web.