From mood swings to therapy, Colours have many roles to play in human psychology.
Does this happen to you that you choose a darker colour outfit for a cloudy day and a brighter colour for a sunny day? Have you ever thought about why we are drawn to this conception? All of this happens because of the psychological effects that every colour has on our minds. A specific spectrum of colours influences specific moods and, thus, having a psychological impact on us. The effect of colours on our minds has been subject to much research, and colour therapy has also become renowned. Let us see how different colours affect influence people.
Colours can influence performance.
Research has shown that specific colours can have an impact on an individual's performance. Like, the colour red emotes threat, arousal, or excitement. Studies have shown that exposing students to the colour red before an exam has negatively impacted test performance.
Colour influences consumer purchase.
The types of colours we choose to wear or buy products reflect a lot about our personality. As every colour has its representation in society and most of it is socially constructed. For example, a blue dress is often associated with a male product, while pink and red are related to female products.
Colour influence mood
Have you ever felt sad and depressed in a dark-coloured room and calm and relaxing in a light-coloured room? This is mainly because the different spectrum of colour emotes other emotions and triggers different moods in people. For example, colours in the red area of the colour spectrum are known as warm colours, and they evoke emotions ranging from feelings of warmth and comfort to feelings of anger and hostility. This colour includes red, orange, and yellow. On the other hand, whereas the colours in the blue area of the colour spectrum are known as cool colours, they often evoke a sense of sadness or indifference.
One of the reasons is why we feel sad and lazy on a gloomy day and energetic and happy on a sunny day.
Conclusion
One thing to be noted is that while colour can influence how we feel and act, these effects are subject to personal, cultural, and situational factors. For example, the colour white is used in many Western countries to represent purity and innocence; it is seen as a symbol of mourning in many Eastern countries. This is because feelings about colour are often deeply personal and rooted in our own experience or culture.
