Color psychology: meaning and curiosities of colors

The color psychology is a field of study that is aimed at analyzing how we perceive and behave in the face of different colors, as well as the emotions that these tones arouse in us.

There are certain subjective aspects in the psychology of color, so do not forget that there may be certain variations in interpretation and meaning between cultures. Regardless, there are certain accepted principles that we are going to review in this article that apply primarily to Western societies.

Color psychology: influence on emotions and mental state

Did you know that the colors around you may be influencing your emotions and your state of mind? Did you know that certain shades can irritate you or, conversely, relax and calm you? Well, you should know that the colors that surround 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, since in this way they send one message or another to the consumer. When decorating a store, it is also valued what colors are used, since it is almost a necessity that people feel the desire to buy when they are in the premises. But it is not only the psychology of color that is used to make a financial profit.

In art therapy, color is associated with the emotions of the person and is a way of influencing the physical and mental state of the patient. 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 excited.

• Related article: Art therapy: psychological therapy through art

The psychology of color in everyday life

And it is that the statement that colors cause an emotional effect on us does not sound strange at all. In fact, it is part of our everyday language. In other words, it is common to speak of warm colors, such as red, yellow or orange, which can provoke different reactions, from positive (warmth) or negative (hostility and anger).

Or, on the contrary,we also usually talk about cold colors, like 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 there.

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

Emotional and psychological marketing of colors

Perhaps the area in which the psychology of color 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, on many occasions, our emotions are the ones that decide for us.

Since a time ago. And as far as decision-making is concerned, even modern neuroscience had focused only on the cognitive aspects of the brain, forgetting about emotions. All this changed with the book by Antonio Damasio called "The error of Descartes." A highly recommended psychology text that provides scientific evidence on the importance of emotions in our decisions.

And how do we get to the customer's heart? Well, through the senses, basically thanks to hearing and sight. For this reason, when you enter a fashion store, energetic music plays and you can appreciate a decoration and a color tells you: "buy, buy, buy." According Color Marketing Group, a company specialized in the use of colors, almost 85% of the reasons why a person chooses one product over another has to do with the perception of color.

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

• Recommended article: "Emotional Marketing: reaching the customer's heart"

The symbolism of colors and how they affect the human mind

The symbolism of colors is certainly ambiguous territory and that, sometimes, is not completely accepted in the scientific field. As already mentioned, color has many readings depending on the context in question. However, below we are going to identify the most important colors 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 white color represents the pure and innocentas well as cleanliness, peace and virtue. In Eastern and African cultures it is the color 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, as it also represents envy, anger and betrayal. The excessive presence of intense yellow can irritate a person, since we are usually used to seeing it on relatively small surfaces.

Red

The 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 color of blood, which we also associate with a certain notion of vitality, aggressiveness and extreme sensations. It is one of the colors with the highest consensus among experts and, in fact, wearing this color leads us to behave in a slightly more assertive and extroverted 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 color of all, at least in Western societies.

Blue

The 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 color, one of the most used by companies. It transmits confidence and purity.

Green

The green represents youth, hope and new life, but also represents action and ecological. Interior decorators agree that a room painted in a soft green color encourages relaxation and well-being.

Purple

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

rose

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

Gray

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

Black

The black has negative connotations as it is associated with death, evil or destruction. Instead, in ancient Egypt it represented fertility and growth. Due to its relationship with darkness, black symbolizes mystery and the unknown. In the world of fashion, black is the color of elegance, formality and sobriety.

Bibliographic references:

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