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Our study will concern color, and the various emotional affects that it has on people. We will focus on the difference of such affects between adults (between the ages of 18 and 25) and children (between the ages of eight and nine). Our main research questions are as follows: (1) What emotions are most often associated with each color, and (2) How does color psychology differ between adults and children. We plan to do a series of interviews, explained later on in the proposal, in order to collect data.
This topic of colors is interesting to the members of our group because of their significance in the world of architecture (which is our major). We are very interested in learning the affects of color on peoplesŐ behavior and actions as this knowledge will play a major role in our designs throughout our college and professional careers.
1. Introduction
We plan to study the effects of color on emotion. We will compare the emotional effects of color on children to the effects of the same colors on adults. We think the different age groups will experience different emotions based on the colors. However, the difference will probably be very slight.
The color blue will probably make kids feel very sad. Adults will probably feel an emotion closer to depression based on that color.
Black may cause kids to feel scared. The color might make adults feel emotions having to do with death.
Red may symbolize love to kids. Adults will feel more of a mature version of this. They may feel something closer to passion.
We think yellow will have a cheerful effect of both children and adults.
Green may have a calming effect on children. It may make adults feel either sick or jealous.
White is a color which may have no emotional effect on children. It may, for adults, bring a presence of innocence or peace.
Each member of our group is majoring in either architecture or interior design. In these fields, color plays a very important role. It is important to know what affect the colors one uses in oneŐs work will have on the people using his or her space. For example, if the color green makes kids angry, one would not want to use this color to decorate the interior of an elementary school. If yellow causes children to feel intelligent, this would be a wiser color choice.
We knew we wanted to use color in our study. There have been extensive studies done on color. Some of these studies deal with the emotional effects of color on people in general. Some of them show which colors children are attracted to compared to compared to those which adults are attracted to. We did not find any studies that compare emotional effects of color on children and adults. We all felt this would be an interesting topic to research.
Through this project we hope to show the different ways that colors affects people of different age groups. We will organize this information in an accessible way for others to view.
This information should turn out to be quite interesting. It may be that there will be a significant difference in how color triggers the emotions of different ages. There may be no difference whatsoever. It will also be exciting to see if people in the same age group have different emotions based on the same color. Hopefully this information will help us with our future careers.
2. Relevance of our research question:
We have found a variety of literature that focuses on the psychological effects of color. Much research has been conducted in this area, but none of the existing research that we have found explores color from the exact approach that we have chosen to take. In conducting our survey, we have two main goals. First of all, we will determine whether or not there is a prevailing emotion that is associated with each individual color. Second of all, we will compare our results between people of varying age groups.
Much of the research that already exists compiles and discusses the various associations that each color brings to mind, thereby amplifying the meaning. For example, people have written descriptions of the symbolism behind the color red. Two prevailing images that red evokes are of blood and fire. Some of the emotions associated with red are love, courage, lust, murder, rage, joy, and happiness. People can be caught red-handed, or they can experience a red-letter day. Red can be equated with strength, and also with passion. Back in the time of the puritans, women who committed adultery were referred to as "scarlet women". More recently, prostitutes live in a "red-light district". From the associations connected with the color red alone, it is easy to see the very diverse group of emotions and images that each color evokes. We will attempt to distill which emotions are most consistently attributed to a single color, rather than presenting such a broad base of information.
Color studies have been conducted on children in the past. None of the studies found through our research tests the emotions that children associate with individual colors. These tests have mostly explored the color preferences of children, and have produced conflicting results. Some studies have found that children prefer primary colors, whereas others have found that by the age of kindergarten children have already developed a sophisticated taste for color. It is very different to study which colors children prefer than what emotions certain colors evoke. No studies that we have found have compared the emotions that children feel toward colors and the emotions that people of older generations feel toward colors.
Our research answers larger questions, such as what effects the color of our environment can have on the childrenŐs moods. If a certain color is found to be associated with anger, then it can be assumed that this would not be a good color for the inside of a childŐs room. If green is found to be relaxing, this can perhaps explain the nurturing role that nature plays in certain peopleŐs lives. It is important to understand the way in which people react emotionally to their environment. Research in this area is especially important to designers, who actively construct the color schemes of our houses, and of the modern world. As our landscape increasingly becomes shaped by artificial boundaries, it is important to note the effect that the appearance of these boundaries has on people.
3. Materials and Methods
We will interview sixty adults and sixty fourth graders. We believe that by interviewing such a vast amount of people we will achieve statistically sound results. To ensure that our results are unbiased we plan to question fourth graders from different classes in two schools and a wide variety of adults at Miami University. All tests will we done at different times of day, under florescent or natural light to ensure there is not a variance in perception of the same color due to lighting.
There will be six colors tested in numerical order. The colors will be tested as follows: blue, black, red, yellow, green, and white. We will test each person individually in a neutral colored room with no obvious distractions. They will be shown a 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of colored paper that will have a number on the bottom left corner that corresponds to the numbered colors previously mentioned. The person will be shown the color for five seconds. A questionnaire, with a correlating number to that of the color sheet, containing a list of different emotions will only be given after the person has had adequate time to study the color, so there are no predispositions to which emotion the person should feel while observing the color. Only ten seconds will be allowed for the decision of emotion because we are interested in impulses of emotions, not analytical thinking. We are not allowing open-ended responses because we need generalized results in order for our data to be concise and easily interpretable.
We will incorporate the class in our research by interviewing them during class. The class will not be asked to collect any data, they will only be asked to actively participate in the interviews.
It is hard to construct a definite timeline for our research project. At the moment, we are working with the various schools in order to obtain permission to conduct our survey. This permission has not yet been granted, and we cannot proceed with this aspect of the data collection until it has. We will start gathering the adult research as soon as possible.
Emotion Questionnaire
Please circle only one of the following choices. Only answer the "why" when responding with unusual answers.
Excited Sad Loving
Frustrated Happy Hatred
Calm Angry Cheerful
Anxious Energetic Jealous
Scared Passion Innocent
No Emotional Effect
Other _______________
Why?
4. Results
Up to this point, we have decided that the best way to illustrate our data is through a series of tables, graphs and in depth written explanations. We will generalize the general emotions and feelings of our subjects into categories such as sad, happy, depressed, excited, lethargic, mellow, etc. In our graphs, these emotions/feelings will be placed on the x-axis, while the variables "adults" and "children" will be put on the y-axis and contrasted as the data is simultaneously shown in the same graph. We will construct a table where each individual will be observed. What they say, how they act, and of course their age will be recorded. Then, we will construct a general table (which will be a guide for our graphs) that will generalize what we have recorded in the section for individuals. Lastly, our explanations will go in depth to illustrate the significance of our data collected and shown in our tables and graphs. We will do preliminary analysis of this data (and later in more depth in the "Conclusions" section) and talk about, for example, how we will use this information in the future, in our projects for studio classes, etc.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Birren, Faber. Light, Color, and Environment. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., 1969.
Fehrman, Dr. Kenneth R., and Cherie Fehrman. Color: The Secret Influence. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2000.
Halse, Albert O. The Use of Color In Interiors. McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1978.
Ladau, Robert F., Brent K. Smith, and Jennifer Place. Color in Interior Design and Architecture. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1989.
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