We give strong unconscious reactions to different colours, therefore – knowingly or unknowingly – we are bombarded by “colour-coded” stimuli many times a day. I have a passion for colours since my very early teenage years. I even aspired to be an artist for a while, but then I finally chose psychology and for several years after graduation I was involved in a research dealing with the symbolism of colours. In this series, I would like to share this passion with you by having a closer look at the meaning of one colour at a time.

We start our journey with the highest arc of the rainbow and the longest wavelength of light: red, which is one of the three basic colours (red, blue and yellow).

Red is energetic

Watching intensive red colour, for example being exposed to red light gives us an energy boost; it can make us excited (or under extreme conditions even aggressive and agitated). With an increased adrenaline production, it raises our blood pressure, speeds up our pulse and increases our respiration rate.

You can rarely find red-painted walls in hospitals, wellness centers or in nurseries, right? Or would you like to visit a dentist whose medical room uses red excessively? At these places, they want you to calm down and be relaxed, so they try to avoid using red.

Do you sometimes feel lethargic? Red colour can help you out… :-)

Red is powerful

Red is associated with high speed, quick decisions, force of will as well as power, courage and dominance. This colour represents the urge to achieve results and to win success.

Many football and other sports teams use red, which means strength and confidence on the field. Anthropologists (Russell Hill and Robert Barton) found that wearing red is linked to a higher probability of winning in a wide range of sports.

Have you noticed that presidential candidates often wear a red tie or write their slogans on red paper or with red ink? Besides the obvious meaning of power and confidence, it has a marketing aspect, too: a study in Science (2009) suggests that red is very effective at focusing our attention to detail.

For the very same reasons many countries use red on their national flags, also you can frequently find it on traditional shields.

Red is passionate

Red is the expression of vital force; therefore it carries the meaning of desire of all forms, it represents appetite, sexual desire and craving.

Have you ever wondered why men express their love with a red rose or why do you think confident women wear red lipstick and red dress when they want to look sexy?
In study published in 2008 in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Elliot found that women wearing red make men more amorous. Red is out of question the colour of love, passion, sex and strong emotional feelings. So if you would like to boost your sexual life, just apply more red in your living room and wear a sexy red underwear…

Or have you noticed that most fast food restaurants have dominantly red colour in their logo and use this colour frequently in their interior design. Red – especially with yellow – is attention-grabbing and forces us to make quick decisions and have a faster pace. A fast food restaurant is usually not a comfortable place where you sit for hours, sipping your coffee and have a chat. No: you order quickly, eat quickly and go.

Red is attention-grabbing

Symbolically red corresponds to blood and fire – as this is the most attention-getting colour, it is usually alerting you to danger or emergency.

This is why the traffic lights, stop signs, danger alerts as well as fire trucks are all coloured red.

In the financial area, red signs downward trends.

What does red tell about you…

If red is your favourite colour, then you are probably an active, outgoing, extroverted, courageous, competitive and confident person with strong survival instincts. You probably enjoy being in the focus of attention of others and your words has to be listened to, others possibly like following you. People favouring red are usually ambitious and are frequently chosen to be leaders.

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Red in different cultures

In South Africa, red is the colour of mourning.
In China, red represents good luck, happiness and prosperity. For example Feng Shui, the traditional Chinese interior design art suggests painting the entrance door of a home red to invite prosperity to the residents.
In India red is the colour of the root chakra, which is located at the base of the spine. This chakra is responsible for connecting us to the universal energies.
Hindu, Islamic and Chinese brides traditionally wear red.
In Jamaica, if you’re red, you’re drunk.

Interesting facts about red

It is the first colour we stop seeing at dusk.
Carmine red paint is made of the blood of thousands of insects (cochineal bug). It is widely used in foods, lipsticks as well as in pigments.
Bees cannot see the red colour, so they avoid red flowers. These are usually pollinated by wind, butterflies and other insects, rather than bees.

The Psychology of Colours (Part 2) - Fiery Red