Our world is filled with colors, and it can be easy to overlook the visual palette that greets us every day. But don't underestimate the effect of color on personality and mood. Research has found that different colors can provoke very different reactions in people. A good understanding of the way color and mood interact can help you in decorating your home, choosing clothing, and making other daily decisions.
Red is the most intense and arousing color and is closely associated with both love and hatred. Accordingly, research has found red to be a strong example of the link between color and mood. Seeing red can provoke a flight-or-fight response, which increases your blood pressure and heart rate. It also can be disruptive to thought, with researchers finding that exposure to red hampered people's abilities to complete puzzles. Choosing a red lipstick, dress, or tie can attract attention and raise interest, but using it as a room color could prove overwhelming.
Blue has been proven to be a soothing color. This color has been shown to relax the body and reduce your heart rate. Students shown both blue and white versions of a hospital examination room reported feeling much more relaxed and pleasant in the blue room. Blue would be a good color to use in a bedroom, where it could help lull you to sleep when you'd like to take a daytime nap.
Yellow tends to be a color that promotes happiness and joy in people. This color is associated with optimism, energy, alertness, and adventurousness. Yellow is also intensely arousing, although less so than red, but can be overwhelming when the yellow is too bright. Many companies such as Kodak and Shell use yellow in their advertising to promote optimism and enjoyment. For the individual, wearing a yellow dress or spending time in a yellow sunroom can brighten up the day.
Green, the color of life and nature, is associated in the United States with health and prosperity. Like blue, green can promote relaxation, peace, and calm. Because green is often considered the most neutral of the colors, it is often used in institutional settings such as schools and hospitals and in color therapy. Green in your clothing could help people think of you as positive and relaxed, and a darker green room could be an ideal place to unwind.
Orange is an odd color, in that it provokes mixed reactions. It's not as intense as red, so it doesn't prompt the same violent mood reaction. Orange and its darker sister, brown, tend to have connections to the natural world and the great outdoors similar to those of the color green. Regarding color and mood, orange can produce feelings of warmth and enthusiasm, while brown creates feelings of comfort and security. As such, brown furniture may feel seem more relaxing and pleasing in a room than orange furniture.
Because it is a "cool" color like blue and green, violet feels soothing and peaceful and can help relieve anxiety. However, purple also has connections to royalty and nobility, and can feel like an exotic color. A purple tie can add a touch of dash to your look; however, a purple suit probably would be too much. One study found that people responded much more positively to a store painted violet than they did to the same store painted in yellow.
Black represents the absence of light and color. In Western cultures, black is considered the color of death. Its color personality is associated with feelings of mourning and grief, and also of hatred. However, black also can be powerful and provocative, which explains its use in men's suits and its effectiveness when used in dresses. Wear black when you want to make an impression and project seriousness.
White is the symbol of balance and unity, of all the colors coming together as one in harmony. As such, white is a powerful symbol of purity and peace — for example, its use in wedding gowns and monuments. However, in a daily setting, white can be jarring and feel unfriendly and sterile. People are less likely to be productive or feel comfortable in a room painted white.
- Last Updated: 07/15/11