Happy colors.

[Enmos]

Why do colorful things make people happy ?
Bright colors are usually synonymous with happy colors.

Is it conditioned by society/parents, or does it have deeper roots ?

Springtime brings lots of color to the world, in the form of flowers and the likes.
Spring time brings an abundance of food and is, for most animals, the time to mate.
Could the phenomena of happy colors have to do with spring time being a particularly happy time to our ancestors ?

[cosmictraveler]

Studies, yes there have been studies made about colors, that certain colors do different things to our brains and can make us psychologically better feeling or more depressed. It seems that colors actually can help what "mood" you are in or can even put you in a certain type of mood depending upon the colors that are around you. Pink, for example, will calm people down it was found.

[DJ Erock]

Red and Yellow are supposedly the colors that make people hungriest, or most comfortable for dining, so if you'll notice that almost all of the fast food chains feature red and yellow logos and signs.

[visceral_instinct]

red also slightly makes you adrenalized, blue calms you down.

[EmmZ]

Well, it must be something to do with the spectrum of energy emitted from colours. We all know colours on either end of the spectrum like infra red and ultra violet have physical properties, but colours must have a physical impact on our body's energy system. Of course, our emotions are just reactions to chemical changes in the body and so those can be affected by different colours from the spectrum. While there are mostly a vast array of hippies willing to tell you to stick red stones on your genitals to heal your sexual energy, I'm sure there is a much more valid and scientific approach to vibrations emitted by colours and their subsequent impact on our physicality and mental states. I reckon.

[Randwolf]

This paper from the University of Georgia summarizes a study that "examined color-emotion associations and the reasons for emotional reactions given to colors."

http://www.fadu.uba.ar/sitios/sicyt/color/aic2004/031-034.pdf


It is interesting to note that one of the conclusions was:

"Moreover, color conventions differ from one society to another. A well-known example is with the two achromatic colors; black and white. Death and mourning are associated with the color black in Western traditions, whereas in China the color of death is white. In the present
study, the color black was associated not only with royalty, power, and wealth, but with death, mourning, and tragic events. Cross-cultural research could shed light on these issues by determining how cultural differences vary in color-emotion associations."

Perhaps at least part of the emotional effect of colors is a learned response, dependent upon experience and culture.


The paper also lists typical "emotional responses" to eighteen colors or hues by ninety-eight college student volunteers.

[EmmZ]

I understand we perceive colours according to our cultural definitions too. Particularly black. Some view it as a colour of strength and power, others view it as a negative colour, pertaining to death, as you say. But does this mean that our cultural identifications will affect the effect? How far would that go? Would that mean the colours along the spectral radius would have a different affect on us depending on our differing cultures?

[Randwolf]

I understand we perceive colours according to our cultural definitions too. Particularly black. Some view it as a colour of strength and power, others view it as a negative colour, pertaining to death, as you say. But does this mean that our cultural identifications will affect the effect? How far would that go? Would that mean the colours along the spectral radius would have a different affect on us depending on our differing cultures?

In theory, yes. But there seems to be little empirical research in this area.

Per wikipedia:
"Color symbolism and color psychology are culturally constructed linkages that vary with time, place, and culture. In fact one color may perform very different symbolic or psychological functions at the same place. Color symbolism is a contentious area of study dependent upon a large body of anecdotal evidence but not supported by data from well designed scientific studies."

[shorty_37]

I think it is bullshit. So if I am really pissed off but go and sit in a blue room for a while I will calm down?

[shorty_37]

Red and Yellow are supposedly the colors that make people hungriest, or most comfortable for dining, so if you'll notice that almost all of the fast food chains feature red and yellow logos and signs.

I think it has more to do with the food. So red and Yellow, I am thinking McDonalds, Wendys, Mr. Sub, Subway, Swiss Chalet, all foods that I like.

If they served liver, brussel sprouts, veal, cabbage I wouldn't care what colour the restaurant was.

[draqon]

psychology of a person...colors affect mood of a person and the way a person feels and images in the mind that are brought when a particular color is seen.

http://habitat.igc.org/cube/blue-r.jpg

[shorty_37]

I think smells have more of affect over me then colors.

[draqon]

I think smells have more of affect over me then colors.

again, it has to do with psychology...a particular smell carries memories of past and emotions with it.

[Randwolf]

I think it is bullshit. So if I am really pissed off but go and sit in a blue room for a while I will calm down?

I thought so too, but the effect appears to be real, although not that extreme.

The only reason that I know anything about this is because of a consulting project I did for a company some time ago. They were overhauling their corporate image including the logo and website. One of the project managers had a "thing" for color psychology. Since they were footing the bill, I went along with it, if somewhat skeptically. Anyway, we brought in focus groups and presented the participants with various color combinations and asked for their reactions. The results were collected individually, and privately (more or less). There was an amazing consistency to the responses.

The effect the company was looking for was one of elegance, prestige and of course, wealth. The end result was that the colors black, silver and dark green seemed to provoke the appropriate emotional responses in a much higher percentage of the participants than would have been expected by chance.

P.S. Not sure how successful this was in the long run, as the company subsequently went out of business... :p

[Enmos]

Thanks guys, but I was really interested in the reason why colorful things appear to be making people good-natured.
I know different colors have different effects on people and that the meaning of colors differ per culture, but I'm talking about colorful in general and I want to know the reasons why.

:)

[Randwolf]

Does this help?

http://www.360steelcase.com/e_article000498606.cfm?x=b11,0,w

"Something that’s known: The rods in human eyes respond to the stimulation of different wavelengths of light. Different wavelengths cause different physical responses. For example, the wavelength that produces red requires the eye to adjust to catch it. Therefore, in purely physiological terms, red is an agitating color. Blue and green wavelengths are easier for the eye to perceive and, therefore, these colors are physiologically restful."

[Enmos]

Does this help?

http://www.360steelcase.com/e_article000498606.cfm?x=b11,0,w

"Something that’s known: The rods in human eyes respond to the stimulation of different wavelengths of light. Different wavelengths cause different physical responses. For example, the wavelength that produces red requires the eye to adjust to catch it. Therefore, in purely physiological terms, red is an agitating color. Blue and green wavelengths are easier for the eye to perceive and, therefore, these colors are physiologically restful."

Nope. Maybe I didn't pose my questions clearly in the OP.

I want to know whether happiness by colorfulness evolved, and if so for what reason.
If not, why ? Maybe conditioning, like parents indirectly telling us at a young age that colorful things are pretty.

[iceaura]

The sort of happy, cheerful, bright, simple colors some people decorate children's holding cells with always used to bother and irritate me, when I was a child.

I think it is bullshit. So if I am really pissed off but go and sit in a blue room for a while I will calm down? Not blue. There's a shade of off red, sort of a pinkish orangy red, that is used for that purpose in some places where somebody believes that it works - psych wards and certain rooms at police stations.

In the backstage area of many music performance venues there is a waiting area for performers often called the "Green Room". It's very often painted or furnished in what is intended to be a pleasant and focusing shade of green. The color is intentional.

[John99]

Also remember that some regions of the world do not have spring or colors.

[gettingbrowned]

just a thought i had upon reading this thread.. (mainly from reading The Wheel of Time series). because brightly colored clothing and paints used to be harder to find and more expensive.. the affluent were more likely to have them. those who were not well off could only afford plain colored clothing, items, houses and decorations.

maybe people like bright colors because they once signified success and wealth?

[Enmos]

just a thought i had upon reading this thread.. (mainly from reading The Wheel of Time series). because brightly colored clothing and paints used to be harder to find and more expensive.. the affluent were more likely to have them. those who were not well off could only afford plain colored clothing, items, houses and decorations.

maybe people like bright colors because they once signified success and wealth?

I'm trying to figure out how this could have been evolved. I like it though.
However, what you are describing could very well be an effect of what I described in the OP.

Springtime brings lots of color to the world, in the form of flowers and the likes.
Spring time brings an abundance of food and is, for most animals, the time to mate.
Could the phenomena of happy colors have to do with spring time being a particularly happy time to our ancestors ?

It seems logical that colorfulness should first have acquired status before the affluent began wearing it.
I'm thinking of spring rituals where maybe some equivalent of medicine men wore spring colors, to welcome to spring and ensure a fertile year.

[shorty_37]

Not blue. There's a shade of off red, sort of a pinkish orangy red, that is used for that purpose in some places where somebody believes that it works - psych wards and certain rooms at police stations.



Ok well why do they put nuts in an all white padded room? What does all white do?

[lucifers angel]

I think smells have more of affect over me then colors.

yeah and me, i love the smell of welsh hills, and the beach they make me happy,

but i do like the colour black (doesnt make me happy or sad) and i love blue

[lucifers angel]

Ok well why do they put nuts in an all white padded room? What does all white do?

because white is a calming colour apprently,

[Orleander]

Thanks guys, but I was really interested in the reason why colorful things appear to be making people good-natured.
I know different colors have different effects on people and that the meaning of colors differ per culture, but I'm talking about colorful in general and I want to know the reasons why.

:)

well, wouldn't a bright red apple be better than a dark brown one? Maybe we evolved the response for health reasons :shrug:

[Enmos]

well, wouldn't a bright red apple be better than a dark brown one? Maybe we evolved the response for health reasons :shrug:

Unlikely, brightly colored berries are often poisonous.
A really good example (although not a classical fruit) is the Fly Agaric, brightly colored red with white spots and deadly poisonous.
On the other hand brightly colored fruit is brightly colored so it stands out more, so animals can spot it more readily.
I think you suggestion has some merit but only to point out that color vision has evolved because it was a distinct advantage.
It doesn't say anything about why brightly colored things or colorful things make people good-natured in general.

What do you think about my suggestion in the OP ?

[Yorda]

bright is happy because people fear darkness. darkness is sadness. love is fire. fire is red. lion is fire. check zodiac. the ancients understood it.

darkness is not fun because you can't see anything.

[Enmos]

bright is happy because people fear darkness. darkness is sadness. love is fire. fire is red. lion is fire. check zodiac. the ancients understood it.

darkness is not fun because you can't see anything.

Yorda, no disrespect.. but how old are you ?

[shorty_37]

I don't like to wear bright colors, I look stupid. You will never catch me wearing yellow for instance.

[Enmos]

I don't like to wear bright colors, I look stupid.
People that look stupid don't like to wear bright colors ??
You will never catch me wearing yellow for instance.
Because you blend into your environment too well ?


;)

[shorty_37]

People that look stupid don't like to wear bright colors ??

Because you blend into your environment too well ?


;)

I mean I don't think I look good in a lot of bright colours.
I look good in a bright Pink T shirt, yellow I feel like big bird.

[Enmos]

I mean I don't think I look good in a lot of bright colours.
I look good in a bright Pink T shirt, yellow I feel like big bird.

lol I know what you meant ;)

It seems nobody here can answer the question though.
Everyone is talking about something else.. :(

[visceral_instinct]

Ok, I will try and answer the question.

I think it is to do with what you unconsciously associate with a colour. If you think of black as mysterious and primordial, you will probably like it, if you associate it with death, you probably won't.

[Enmos]

Ok, I will try and answer the question.

I think it is to do with what you unconsciously associate with a colour. If you think of black as mysterious and primordial, you will probably like it, if you associate it with death, you probably won't.

But why ?

[Carcano]

And why is it that some colours clash while other accommodate.

Orange and purple dont go...for some reason. I believe this is universal for all peoples of the world.

Why is it that vibrant colours are fine for a child's bedroom, but one has to add small amounts of black to mute them for the parents room.

[Diode-Man]

psychology of a person...colors affect mood of a person and the way a person feels and images in the mind that are brought when a particular color is seen.

http://habitat.igc.org/cube/blue-r.jpg

Suddenly, I want to visit the Ocean

[draqon]

Suddenly, I want to visit the Ocean

me too...:)

[cosmictraveler]

darkness is not fun because you can't see anything.

I seem to thrive in that type of environment for the nightime is the right time for making love! :eek: ;) :D

[Randwolf]

But why ?

Maybe God said so? We should ask SAM...

Seriously, what answer are you after? The primary affect is going to be due to nurture, if you grew up with your parents telling you to associate red with Valentine's day, you will think of red with love. If you were raised in a war torn zone of Bosnia, you may associate red wtih blood and death.

With the exception of the physiological affects noted in my earlier post, there does not seem to be much emperical investigation into this phenomenom. How else can we help you, besides speculation? Perhaps you can imagine gray being associated with drab, drear days in your childhood, trapped inside by rain. Maybe a mixture of yellow and green, "institutional colors", evokes a feeling of nausea in people because it reminds them of puke? (By the way, by my research, this is the most universal color reaction, observed in most populations)

Point is, it is primarily a cultural issue, influenced by how and where you were raised. Beyond that, we just don't know....

[Yorda]

But why ?

some think that pink is a color for girls because humans have made it that way. but in reality, pink = girl, because they share the same essence. they are the same type. soft color. girls are soft. boys are hard.

why is up positive and down negative? we subconsciously feel that down is "bad", so we created expressions like "are you feeling down today?".

soft = sensitive
hard = insesitive, "cold"

the ancients said that yin and yang is in everything.

Yorda, no disrespect.. but how old are you ?

i seem have the answers for everything, so how young can i be?

[S.A.M.]

Maybe God said so? We should ask SAM...
Point is, it is primarily a cultural issue, influenced by how and where you were raised. Beyond that, we just don't know....

Yeah, its brainwashing. Different colours mean different things in different cultures. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_symbolism_and_psychology

[Enmos]

The primary affect is going to be due to nurture, if you grew up with your parents telling you to associate red with Valentine's day, you will think of red with love. If you were raised in a war torn zone of Bosnia, you may associate red wtih blood and death.

With the exception of the physiological affects noted in my earlier post, there does not seem to be much emperical investigation into this phenomenom. How else can we help you, besides speculation? Perhaps you can imagine gray being associated with drab, drear days in your childhood, trapped inside by rain. Maybe a mixture of yellow and green, "institutional colors", evokes a feeling of nausea in people because it reminds them of puke? (By the way, by my research, this is the most universal color reaction, observed in most populations)

Point is, it is primarily a cultural issue, influenced by how and where you were raised. Beyond that, we just don't know....
Finally some sort of an answer, thanks.
So you think it's nurture ?
You mentioned your research. What sort of research is that, anything related ?

Finally, are you skeptical about a possible evolutionary cause or are you saying you just don't know ?


Edit:
If you were raised in a war torn zone of Bosnia, you may associate red wtih blood and death.
But they will still think a field of flowers is a beautiful sight, even if they are poppies.

[Enmos]

some think that pink is a color for girls because humans have made it that way. but in reality, pink = girl, because they share the same essence. they are the same type. soft color. girls are soft. boys are hard.

why is up positive and down negative? we subconsciously feel that down is "bad", so we created expressions like "are you feeling down today?".

soft = sensitive
hard = insesitive, "cold"

the ancients said that yin and yang is in everything.
Well, I am somewhat color-disturbed if you can call it that.
I'm colorblind and fascinated with colors, but I also don't notice color that much (I see it, but I don't notice it as much as others).
I think as a result of that I'm maybe not as hung up on cultural color interpretation is others.

i seem have the answers for everything, so how young can i be?
It's not your answers perse.. it's more how you put them.
So how old are you ? Just interested.

[visceral_instinct]

some think that pink is a color for girls because humans have made it that way. but in reality, pink = girl, because they share the same essence. they are the same type. soft color. girls are soft. boys are hard.



Please, just fucking die already.

You might be interested to know that in older times pink was the colour of males, because it is a dilution of red and thus associated with energy and strength, and blue was the female colour because it was associated with calm.

[Randwolf]

some think that pink is a color for girls because humans have made it that way. but in reality, pink = girl, because they share the same essence. they are the same type. soft color.

Well, parts of girls can be pink, but I think the comparison is much more direct and obvious.. ;)


Finally some sort of an answer, thanks.
So you think it's nurture ?
You mentioned your research. What sort of research is that, anything related ?


The research I have personally done was cited in a previous post:
The only reason that I know anything about this is because of a consulting project I did for a company some time ago. They were overhauling their corporate image including the logo and website. One of the project managers had a "thing" for color psychology. Since they were footing the bill, I went along with it, if somewhat skeptically. Anyway, we brought in focus groups and presented the participants with various color combinations and asked for their reactions. The results were collected individually, and privately (more or less). There was an amazing consistency to the responses.

The effect the company was looking for was one of elegance, prestige and of course, wealth. The end result was that the colors black, silver and dark green seemed to provoke the appropriate emotional responses in a much higher percentage of the participants than would have been expected by chance.

Admittedly, this small sample does not directly address the subject of cultural bias, as all subjects were from the same region. (United States)

In conjunction, I reviewed whatever material was available about the subject at the time. I was intrigued because the results actually supported a "new age" concept, so I have followed further developments as I encountered them.



Finally, are you skeptical about a possible evolutionary cause or are you saying you just don't know ?


I am saying I don't know. I hunted down this reference to physiological reactions for you:

http://www.360steelcase.com/e_article000498606.cfm?x=b11,0,w

"Something that’s known: The rods in human eyes respond to the stimulation of different wavelengths of light. Different wavelengths cause different physical responses. For example, the wavelength that produces red requires the eye to adjust to catch it. Therefore, in purely physiological terms, red is an agitating color. Blue and green wavelengths are easier for the eye to perceive and, therefore, these colors are physiologically restful."

It would seem that a nurture response could transform to a nature response if the selection is positive. Meaning that if a behavior, i.e. outlook or view, in an organism's environment or culture is positive and helpful, such as "yellow berries are bad", then perhaps this could lead to longer life / more prolific childbearing, etc. This is all total speculation, all I really know, or at least am totally convinced of, is that the affect of colours on psyche is very real...



Edit:
If you were raised in a war torn zone of Bosnia, you may associate red wtih blood and death.
But they will still think a field of flowers is a beautiful sight, even if they are poppies.

I hear you, I was just trying to illustrate the point that different contexts may evoke different reactions...

[Enmos]

The research I have personally done was cited in a previous post:
Admittedly, this small sample does not directly address the subject of cultural bias, as all subjects were from the same region. (United States)

In conjunction, I reviewed whatever material was available about the subject at the time. I was intrigued because the results actually supported a "new age" concept, so I have followed further developments as I encountered them.

I am saying I don't know. I hunted down this reference to physiological reactions for you:

It would seem that a nurture response could transform to a nature response if the selection is positive. Meaning that if a behavior, i.e. outlook or view, in an organism's environment or culture is positive and helpful, such as "yellow berries are bad", then perhaps this could lead to longer life / more prolific childbearing, etc. This is all total speculation, all I really know, or at least am totally convinced of, is that the affect of colours on psyche is very real...

I hear you, I was just trying to illustrate the point that different contexts may evoke different reactions...

Thanks Randwolf :)
I am convinced that there are at least aspects of it that are evolved.
I'm just having trouble figuring out the mechanisms.

It's pretty obvious that if there would have always been blue creatures in our species history that were extremely dangerous to us, that this would have an evolutionary effect on us.
Perhaps we would have been extremely sensitive to blue in order to spot the danger early on.
I'm looking for a similar process but, of course, not nearly as obvious.

[Lemming]

I like the benetton colour the fairy wing effect, i think that is calming!