Colours are a prominent feature of the perceived world. They are important for us as perceivers, both because they allow us to distinguish and identify objects in our environment—for instance, the red fruit against the green foliage, the ripe yellow banana—and because of their wider aesthetic and cultural significance. They are also a subject of long-standing interest among philosophers. At least part of the reason for this is that colours provide a vivid illustration of some general problems that arise in thinking about the ‘manifest image’ of the world, or the world as it appears to perceiving subjects.
Color can play an important role in conveying information, creating certain moods, and even influencing the decisions people make. Color preferences also exert an influence on the objects people choose to purchase, the clothes they wear, and the way they adorn their environments. People often select objects in colors that evoke certain moods or feelings, such as selecting a car color that seems sporty, futuristic, sleek, or trustworthy. Room colors can also be used to evoke specific moods, such as painting a bedroom a soft green to create a peaceful mood.
So what's the bottom line? Experts have found that while color can have an influence on how we feel and act, these effects are subject to personal, cultural, and situational factors. More scientific research is needed to gain a better understanding of color psychology.
Reflecting on our experience of colours, it is natural to think that colours are mind-independent properties of things in our environment: properties, like shape and size, whose nature and existence is independent of our experience of them. But if this is right, how are colours related to the physical properties of things: the kinds of properties that are described by the physical sciences, such as the dispositions of things to reflect, refract or emit light in different proportions across the electromagnetic spectrum, or their underlying microphysical properties? At least on the face of it, colours have no place within the description of the world provided by modern science. So how, if at all, do colours fit into the world? What are colours? Do they even exist?
COLOR IMPACT ON OUR MINDS,MOODS, FEELING AND BEHAVIOURS...
In 1666, English scientist Sir Isaac Newton discovered that when pure white light passes through a prism, it separates into all of the visible colors. Newton also found that each color is made up of a single wavelength and cannot be separated any further into other colors.
Further experiments demonstrated that light could be combined to form other colors. For example, red light mixed with yellow light creates an orange color. Some colors, such as green and magenta, cancel each other out when mixed and result in a white light.
If you have ever painted, then you have probably noticed how certain colors can be mixed to create other colors.
"Given the prevalence of color, one would expect color psychology to be a well-developed area," researchers observed.
"Surprisingly, little theoretical or empirical work has been conducted to date on color's influence on psychological functioning, and the work that has been done has been driven mostly by practical concerns, not scientific rigor."
Despite the general lack of research in this area, the concept of color psychology has become a hot topic in marketing, art, design, and other areas.
Much of the evidence in this emerging area is anecdotal at best, but researchers and experts have made a few important discoveries and observations about the psychology of color and the effect it has on moods, feelings, and behaviors.
Of course, your feelings about color are often deeply personal and rooted in your own experience or culture. For example, while the color white is used in many Western countries to represent purity and innocence, it is seen as a symbol of mourning in many Eastern countries.
Why is color such a powerful force in our lives? What effects can it have on our bodies and minds? is a question still yet to be answered.................................
While perceptions of color are somewhat subjective, there are some color effects that have universal meaning. Colors in the red area of the color spectrum are known as warm colors and include red, orange, and yellow. These warm colors evoke emotions ranging from feelings of warmth and comfort to feelings of anger and hostility.
Colors on the blue side of the spectrum are known as cool colors and include blue, purple, and green. These colors are often described as calm, but can also call to mind feelings of sadness or indifference.
How do people respond to different colors? is what we will soon know.
ENJOY READING AND RESTEEM, SEE YOU IN THE NEXT SERIES.....