PEOPLE - Color Psychology > Red, Blue, Green and Yellow

By Color Psychology: How Colors Impact Moods, Feelings and Behaviors

Red has guts .... deep, strong, dramatic. A geranium red. A Goya red ... to be used like gold for furnishing a house ... for clothes, it is strong, like black or white. - Valentino

Red

·         Red is a bright, warm color that evokes strong emotions.

·         Red is associated with love, warmth, and comfort.

·         Red is also considered an intense, or even angry, color that creates feelings of excitement or intensity.

·         Consider how red is used in language: redneck, red-hot, red-handed, paint the town red, seeing red

How does the color red make you feel?

The Color Psychology of Blue

·         Blue is described as a favorite color by many people and is the color most preferred by men.

·         Blue calls to mind feelings of calmness or serenity. It is often described as peaceful, tranquil, secure, and orderly.

·         Blue can also create feelings of sadness or aloofness.

·         Blue is often used to decorate offices because research has shown that people are more productive in blue rooms.

·         Blue is one of the most popular colors, but it is one of the least appetizing. Some weight loss plans even recommend eating your food off of a blue plate. Blue rarely occurs naturally in food aside from blueberries and some plums. Also, humans are geared to avoid foods that are poisonous and blue coloring in food is often a sign of spoilage or poison.

·         Blue can also lower the pulse rate and body temperature.

·         Consider how blue is used in language: blue moon, blue Monday, blue blood, the blues, and blue ribbon.

Look at the use of blue in this image. How does blue make you feel? Do you associate blue with certain qualities or situations?

Green, which is Nature's colour, is restful, soothing, cheerful, and health-giving. - Paul Brunton

The Color Psychology of Green

·         Green is a cool color that symbolizes nature and the natural world.

·         Green also represents tranquility, good luck, health, and jealousy.

·         Researchers have also found that green canimprove reading ability. Some students may find that laying a transparent sheet of green paper over reading material increases reading speed and comprehension.

·         Green has long been a symbol of fertility and was once the preferred color choice for wedding gowns in the 15th-century. Even today, green M & M's (an American chocolate candy) are said to send a sexual message.

·         Green is often used in decorating for its calming effect. For example, guests waiting to appear on television programs often wait in a “green room” to relax.

·         Green is thought to relieve stress and help heal. Those who have a green work environment experience fewer stomachaches.

·         Consider how green is used in language: green thumb, green with envy, greenhorn.

How does green make you feel? Do you associate green with certain qualities or situations?

How wonderful yellow is. It stands for the sun. -Vincent Van Gogh

The Color Psychology of Yellow

·         Yellow is a bright that is often described as cheery and warm.

·         Yellow is also the most fatiguing to the eye due to the high amount of light that is reflected. Using yellow as a background on paper or computer monitors can lead to eyestrain or vision loss in extreme cases.

·         Yellow can also create feelings of frustration and anger. While it is considered a cheerful color, people are more likely to lose their tempers in yellow rooms and babies tend to cry more in yellow rooms.

·         Yellow can also increase the metabolism.

·         Since yellow is the most visible color, it is also themost attention-getting color. Yellow can be used in small amount to draw notice, such as on traffic sign or advertisements.

How does yellow make you feel? Do you associate yellow with certain qualities or situations?