Color and emotions Colors have psychological and physiological effects on people. Here are some moods colors are associated with in the United States. 1 |
Blue can be cool, subduing, melancholy, contemplative, sober. It has been associated with cold, sky, water, ice. | ||
Red can be passionate, exciting, fervid, active. It has been associated with heat, fire, blood. | ||
Green can be quieting, refreshing, peaceful; but in a different context it can denote illness or guilt. It is often associated with nature. | ||
Purple can be dignified, pompous, mournful, mystic. It has been asssociated with cool, mist, darkness, shadow. | ||
Yellow can be cheerful, inspiring, vital, celestial, denoting high spirit and health. It is associated with sunlight. | ||
Black can be funereal, ominous, deadly, depressing. It has been associated with night, emptiness. |
But take note that colors have different associations in different cultures. White would be an inappropriate color for a wedding in China. It is the color of mourning. Green is a sacred color to Moslems. 2 The lesson is: Know your audience and do your homework. 1. Faber Birren. Color Psychology and Color Therapy: A Factual Study of the Influence of Color on Human Life. New York. McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc. 2. Color Matters - The Brain. Color and Culture Matters. Available online at <http://www.lava.net/~colorcom/culturematters.html>
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