Now for a real-life example of the influence color has on emotion. In large fast food chains, the most abundant colors you see are probably red and yellow (McDonald's for example). You might have heard of a correlation between anger and hunger (described by a slang term "hangry"). Some studies have shown that red is used in many restaurants because it induces hunger. Now, there is an obvious correlation between three factors:hunger, the color red, and anger.
As for other colors of the emotional spectrum, think about how many BIG restaurant chains you know that have the colors blue or purple in large amounts in their logos. In my observations, I can't think of any that use blue without the presence of red (hunger in this case) or yellow or orange while I can't think of any that use purple (disgust) at all! This is probably a little obvious as to why these chains don't use purple as, who wants to feel disgusted while eating unhealthy fast food with sketchy origins?
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ReplyDeleteBrennan, I find this very interesting. It's only after I read your post that I actually realised that most fast food restaurants either have red or yellow in their logo. The explanation you provided about the use of these colors according to the spectrum makes sense. At first, I thought that these colors are common because they grab our attention. But now I definitely do think that restaurants and other types of shops play with the colours and other aspects such as smell and sound to appeal to our different senses, thus control our emotions to a certain extent. I noticed that many shops focus a lot on the display of their products, the smell as well as the sound in order to attract clients. Personally when I enter certain shops, I stay there for a long time without realising it. This is because the conditions at the shop are meticulously set in order to play with the client's emotions so he can feel as comfortable as possible. Lately I've seen a documentary about how different shops and restaurants diffuse different perfumes inside as well as outside of their shops in order to attract clients. This also the case with music. If you walk by a shop and you hear music coming our from it, you will most likely want to go in and see what's there. These are all marketing strategies that play with our emotions in order to get us to consume more.
ReplyDeleteI find your post very interesting but I cannot wrap my mind around the psychological properties of colors. I have always thought that red was used in restaurants because it draws our intentions. For example I have always wondered why traffic lights around the world use red as a signal to stop. I believed that red was used because it captures our attention faster than any other color. After reading your article I started to look at colors from a different perspective and I tried to associate different colors with different emotions. It is true that green triggers happiness. This is probably why most people enjoy nature and have a positive image in their minds when they think of a green forest. Personally, I associate the color green with a harmony, tranquility and balance. It is also a refreshing color which reminds me of water and the equilibrium of our environment. However, I do not agree with the fact that yellow stimulates fear. I personally associate the color yellow with optimism, friendliness, and confidence. For some people it may actually trigger anxiety and fear, however for me I see yellow as a reassuring color that gives me more confidence and self esteem. In conclusion, I both agree and disagree with your post. On one hand, there is an actual relation between these colors and certain emotions. However, it may differ according to different people. Therefore, although there is a relation between emotions and colors it is not black and white as it is not always the same for every person.
ReplyDeleteFrom Lauren Hazel: "Upon reading an article by Keith Mathison on the comparison of faith and reason I came to the same conclusion he seems to in his writing; that faith and reason aren’t in any sort of conflict at all when put in the right context. He explains the way each word can be defined and shows how the ‘believers’ and ‘non-believers’ when arguing about how to explain why faith is reliable or unreliable are actually saying the same thing, but with a different goal in mind. ‘Believers’ tend to use the argument of rational thinking processes to provide evidence that there is existence of a God. ‘Non-believers’ use the very same argument to provide evidence that there is not a God. These however are two extremes of the spectrum and I wanted to investigate further to find a situation that was a combination of the two sides of faith and reason. In my search for this common ground I found the channel Spirit Science made by Jordan Duchnycz. If you have the time, I highly recommend you watch these videos if for no other intellectual reason than curiosity. They are interesting and provide a clear explanation to the connection between the two, seemingly opposite, sides of the spectrum. The main focus of the channel is not to prove there is a God or there is not a God, it is to find a way to balance your being on a spiritual, mental and physical level. This, of course, relies on the belief that there is a spirit, which is interconnected through all humans and can be manipulated by the actions we take in our lives, who we surround ourselves with and even what colors we choose to wear on a daily basis. This very intense focus on the spirit (referring to the Spirit Science video 2: Chakras) in the way of changing what colors you are surrounded by can change your whole outlook on life and your impact on other’s lives made me a little skeptical. However, not wanting to claim an idea preposterous I gave it more thought and came to an interesting conclusion that led to an even more interesting experiment. I thought about what I wear on a day to day basis and what moods I tend to be in when I get dressed in the morning. On days that I hadn’t slept well the previous night and had to get up early I’m usually annoyed and feeling very sore and tired. On these days I’ll wear colors like reds and browns and blacks. These, according to the video, are colors that have very long, slow vibrations and are stimulating in the same way. On days that I’m in a neutral or happy mood I find myself wearing whatever jumps out at me in my closet, this tends to be blues and purples and whites. These colors have smaller, faster vibrations and are stimulating in those ways. Upon thinking up these findings I decided that I was simply looking for evidence that the video was true (because it would be so much easier to just change the color of my shirt to make me feel better than actually talk about my problems) and that the placebo effect was taking it’s toll. I then decided to test it. I would change the color of my clothing, using layers, to bring out the seven main ‘chakras’ mentioned in the video. I tried bringing a balance of these colors and switching between the darks and lights (warm and cool colors). I cannot say that I felt an overwhelming sense of balance after doing this for a couple weeks, but I can say that I definitely had less mornings that I woke up feeling ‘off’. This can be due to many other factors such as the amount of sleep I’d given myself the night before or the percentage of cocoa in my chocolate bar (anything more than 65% puts my stomach on edge). But I suggest that you note down the color you wear and the mood you’re in for a few weeks and decide if you see any patterns, it really is an interesting concept to consider."
ReplyDeleteLINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhX6LoNZdAc#t=12