Effects of colours on behaviour and moods

 Colours affects Moods, feelings and behaviours

The Psychology of Colour is primarily still within the realms of folk or commonsense psychology and has been widely associated with culture. The significance of colour could well be related with particular cultures, emotions and situations although there are very few scientific experiments on colour or a scientifically valid 'colour psychology'. The psychology of colour studies the effects of colours on human feelings and behaviour. It is usually believed that red makes people happy or fervent and yellow raises alertness, white is about purity and cleanliness, black evokes a sense of mystery, loss or anonymity.

Natural colours are well accepted and universal simply because of their familiarity and this concept could well be used in colours for advertisements or products. Natural products should be sold in boxes or cans with natural colours or should represent the colour of products. Thus lemon juice is best sold in a yellow or green coloured container rather than a red one. In fact in case of advertisements and products, red cans are associated with cola as transparent bottles with blue labels are for mineral water and such already established consumer associations should be considered before launching products and advertisements. A completely black can of any drink could be considered as mysterious, dangerous or poisonous and sales may be affected even if the product inside is pretty harmless. In fact for fizzy drinks or coffee or cocoa, brown or a mixture of black and brown could be more suitable than only black as the colour of the containers. For selling beer or soda, containers or cans of neutral colours like beige, light brown and faded golden would be more appropriate.

In a similar manner websites should also enhance the spirit of the products or services offered with its unique colours. A site providing wedding services should have white or pink as its primary colour and a site providing funeral services could have black or grey as the primary colour. This is however culturally variant as events such as birth, death, marriage are represented with different colours in different societies. In some eastern societies, red represents celebration and marriage whereas in western societies, white is widely used in marriage. White is used as the colour of death, sterility and loss in eastern societies whereas in the west, black is the colour of mourning and loss. The use of colours in different cultures and societies may provide insights into the cultural concepts as white representing death in eastern societies may not only represent high levels of purity but also rebirth and transition to another form. Leaving one bodily condition for another as death

 

Red:

Physiological Effect: Red has been shown to increase blood pressure and stimulate the adrenal glands. The stimulation of the adrenals glands helps us become strong and increases our stamina. Pink, a lighter shade of red, helps muscles relax.

 Psychological Effect: While red has proven to be a colour of vitality and ambition it has been shown to be associated with anger. Sometimes red can be useful in dispelling negative thoughts, but it can also make one irritable. Pink has the opposite effect of red. Pink induces feelings of calm, protection, warmth and nurture. This colour can be used to lessen irritation and aggression as it is connected with feelings of love. Red is sometimes associated with sexuality, whereas pink is associated with unselfish love.

Orange:

  Physiological Effect: Orange has proven to be a stimulus of the sexual organs. Also, it can be benefitial to the digestive system and can strengthen the immune system. 

Psychological Effect: Orange has shown to have only positive affects on your emotional state. This colour relieves feelings of self-pity, lack of self-worth and unwillingness to forgive. Orange opens your emotions and is a terrific antidepressant.

Yellow:

Physiological Effect: Yellow has proven to stimulate the brain. This stimulation can make you more alert and decisive. This colour makes muscles more energetic and activates the lymph system.

Psychological Effect: Similarly to Orange, Yellow is a happy and uplifting colour. It can also be associated with intellectual and good judgment. Also aiding organization, understanding of thinking: discernment, memory, clear thinking, decision-making different points of view. Yellow builds self-confidence and encourages optimism. However, a dull yellow can bring on feelings of fear.

Green: 

Physiological Effect: Green is said to be good for you heart. On a physical and emotional, green helps your heart bring you physical equilibrium and relaxation. Green relaxes our muscles and helps us breathe deeper and slower.

Psychological Effect: Green creates feelings of comfort, laziness, relaxation, calmness. It helps us balance and soothe our emotions. Some attribute this to its connection with nature and our natural feelings of affiliation with the natural world when experiencing the colour green. Yet, darker and grayer greens can have the opposite effect. These olive green colours remind us of decay and death and can actually have a detrimental effect on physical and emotional health. Note that sickened cartoon characters always turned green.

Blue:

Physiological Effect: In contrast to red, blue proves to lower blood pressure. Blue can be linked to the throat and thyroid gland. Blue also has a very cooling and soothing affect, often making us calmer. Deep blue stimulates the pituitary gland, which then regulates our sleep patterns. This deeper blue also has proved to help the skeletal structure in keeping bone marrow healthy.

Psychological Effect: We usually associate the colour blue with the night and thus we feel relaxed and calmed. Lighter blues make us feel quite and away from the rush of the day. These colours can be useful in eliminating insomnia. Like yellow, blue inspires mental control, clarity and creativity. However, too much dark blue can be depressing.

Purple:

Physiological Effect: Violet has shown to alleviate conditions such as sunburn due to its purifying and antiseptic effect. This colour also suppresses hunger and balances the body's metabolism. Indigo, a lighter purple, has been used by doctors in Texas as an anesthesia in minor operations because its narcotic "A soothing or numbing agent" qualities.

Psychological Effect: Purples have been used in the care of mental of nervous disorders because they have shown to help balance the mind and transform obsessions and fears. Indigo is often associated with the right side of the brain; stimulating intuition and imagination. Violet is associated with bringing peace and combating shock and fear. Violet has a cleansing effect with emotional disturbances. Also, this colour is related to sensitivity to beauty, high ideals and stimulates creativity, spirituality and compassion. Psychic power and protection has also been associated with violet.

Brown:

Psychological Effect: Brown is the colour of the earth and ultimately home. This colour brings feelings of stability and security. Sometimes brown can also be associated with withholding emotion and retreating from the world.

Black:

Psychological Effect: While comforting and protective, black is mysterious and associated with silence and sometimes death. Black is passive and can prevent us from growing and changing.

White: 

Psychological Effect: White is the colour of ultimate purity. This colour brings feelings of peace and comfort while it dispels shock and despair. White can be used to give yourself a feeling of freedom and uncluttered openness. Too much white can give feelings of separation and can be cold and isolation.

Gray:

Psychological Effect: Gray is the colour of independence and self-reliance, although usually thought of as a negative colour. It can be the colour of evasion and non-commitment (since it is neither black nor white). Gray indicates separation, lack of involvement and ultimately loneliness.