The psychology of colour is a field of study that is directed at analysing how we perceive and behave in the face of different colours, as well as the emotions that these tones arouse in us.

There are certain subjective aspects in the psychology of color, so we must not forget that there can be certain variations in interpretation and meaning between cultures . In spite of this, there are certain accepted principles that we will review in this article and that apply fundamentally to western societies.

Color Psychology: Influence on Emotions and State of Mind

Did you know that the colors around you can be influencing your emotions and your state of mind? Did you know that certain shades can irritate you or, on the contrary, relax and calm you down? Well, you should know that the colors around you can have an effect on you.

This statement is not new. In fact, many companies design their logos taking into account the colors they use, because this way they send one message or another to the consumer. When you decorate a store you also value the colors you use, because it is almost a necessity that people feel the desire to buy when they are in the store. But it is not only the psychology of colour that is used to make an economic profit.

In art therapy, color is associated with a person’s emotions and is a way of influencing the patient’s physical and mental state. For example, studies have shown that red increases the heart rate, which, in turn, causes an increase in adrenaline and makes individuals feel energetic and enthusiastic.

The Psychology of Color in Everyday Life

It doesn’t sound strange to say that colours have an emotional effect on us. In fact, it’s part of our everyday language. In other words, it is common to talk about warm colours , such as red, yellow or orange, which can provoke different reactions, from positive (warmth) to negative (hostility and anger).

Or, on the contrary, we also usually talk about cold colours , such as green or blue, which usually cause a feeling of calm but also sadness.

Since we are all familiar with these concepts, the psychology of color is used in everyday life. For example, when you paint your house and consider what colors you want for your home because you are going to spend many hours in there.

When you do that, you usually take into account how the different shades will make you feel: an elegant grey for the living room? a green kitchen associated with spring and freshness? Maybe you like yoga and meditation and want a white room because you know it has a relaxing effect. These are just a few examples of how we employ the psychology of colour almost without realising it.

Emotional and psychological colour marketing

Perhaps the area where color psychology is most applied is in marketing. It is common to believe that the decisions we make when buying are based on a rational analysis, but, in many occasions, our emotions are the ones that decide for us.

For some time now, when it comes to decision making, even modern neuroscience has focused only on the cognitive aspects of the brain, forgetting about emotions. This all changed with Antonio Damasio’s book called Descartes’ Mistake. A highly recommended psychology text that provides scientific evidence on the importance of emotions in our decisions.

And how do we get to the client’s heart? Through the senses, basically through hearing and sight . That’s why, when you enter a fashion store, energetic music sounds and you can appreciate a decoration and a colorful saying: “buy, buy, buy”. According to Color Marketing Group , a company specializing in the use of color, almost 85% of the reasons a person chooses one product over another have to do with color perception.

The psychology of color also applies to branding. Did you know that red stimulates the appetite? That’s right, according to research. So it’s not surprising that well-known fast food chains like McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, KFC and Wendy’s use this color in their logos and facilities.

The symbolism of colors and how they affect the human mind

The symbolism of the colours is certainly an ambiguous territory and sometimes not fully accepted in the scientific field. As has already been said, colour has many readings depending on the context in question. However, below we will identify the most important colours with their more or less accepted meanings (at least in the West).

White

In Western cultures (and also in some Eastern ones, such as Hindu), the colour white represents purity and innocence , as well as cleanliness, peace and virtue. In Eastern and African cultures it is the colour of death: the pure soul that leaves.

Yellow

Yellow represents light and gold. It is usually related to happiness, wealth, power, abundance, strength and action . However, researchers consider it one of the most ambiguous colors, because it also represents envy, anger and betrayal. The excessive presence of intense yellow can be irritating to a person, since we are normally used to seeing it on relatively small surfaces.

Red

Red is associated with stimulation, passion, strength, revolution, virility and danger . This probably has a lot to do with the fact that red is the colour of blood, which we also associate with a certain notion of vitality, aggressiveness and extreme sensations. It is one of the colors with the greatest consensus among experts and, in fact, wearing this color leads us to behave in a slightly more assertive and extraverted way.

Orange

Orange is associated with enthusiasm and action. Also can be related to lust and sensuality, to the divine and exaltation . In the world of political marketing, it is often said that orange is the most optimistic colour of all, at least in Western societies.

Blue

Blue is the color of the sky and water, and represents tranquility, freshness and intelligence . In the world of marketing it is used in many logos such as Facebook or Twitter. It is an elegant and corporate colour, one of the most used by companies. It transmits confidence and purity.

Green

Green represents youth, hope and new life, but also represents action and the ecological . Interior designers agree that a room painted in a soft green colour encourages relaxation and well-being.

Purple

Purple is highly valued in the world of marketing, since it represents sophistication and elegance . Moreover, this colour is often associated with mystery, nostalgia and spirituality. It is a colour that is widely used in anti-ageing products, precisely because of the glamorous touch it gives off.

Pink

Pink is a color with some well-defined attributes: is the colour of sweetness, delicacy, friendship and pure love . Our cultural heritage also associates it with the feminine.

Grey

Grey has somewhat different connotations depending on the culture. While some people perceive this color as indetermination or mediocrity, experts in color psychology give it a different meaning: peace, tenacity and tranquility .

Black

Black has negative connotations because it is associated with death, evil or destruction . In contrast, in ancient Egypt it represented fertility and growth. Because of its relationship with darkness, black symbolizes mystery and the unknown. In the world of fashion, black is the colour of elegance, formality and sobriety.

Bibliographic references:

  • De La Llave, A. (2018). We are Visual Arts I. Mexico: Cromberger.
  • Heller, Eva (2004). Psychology of colour. How colours act on feelings and reason. Gustavo Gili, ed.
  • Hupka, Ralph B.; et al. (1997). “The colors of anger, envy, fear, and jealousy: a cross-cultural study. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology.