How Different Colors May Improve Memory - Research Paper Example

? Red Color and Effects on Memory The aim of this study is to understand whether adding color to different words would facilitate the process of memorization of those marked words. 18 participants have been surveyed in the study. Among these participants, 8 and 10 participants are male and female respectively. The participants have been chosen from three dissimilar entry level classes of the society. For the research, two groups of researchers have been considered. They have collected the data and have expressed the responses of the participants in proper order. Hence, two different groups of participants have been allocated under each group of researcher. The first group of participants has been presented a list having 68 red words and 63 black words. The second group has been presented with 84 red words and 79 black words. Hence, there has been, in aggregate, 152 red words and 142 black words. The results obtained from the research have been significant when the participants are provided with red colored words compared to black colored words. There has been a significant amount of research on how different colors may improve the memory. Most of these researches have been based on how different colors enhance remember with the help of images or scenes. Color reveals the greater level of performance in terms of the focus which is generated through greater level of attention brought about by the color red. Different colors are expected to create various levels of impact on people (Myers, 2004). Blue has often been used for relaxation and helps the brain in the process of producing tranquility hormones. On the contrary, red has been used to raise the level of adrenaline as well as energy levels. Orange has sometimes been used to try as well as generate the mood of hunger. Different marketing and advertisement agencies frequently experiment with colors which do best in attracting the attention of consumers and for the purpose of possibly increasing the possibility of selling specific products. Also banks sometimes use blue in order to suggest tranquility and to offer an intimation of being secure and safe. Also the traffic signal colors have been used because these colors are those that people are most familiar with. Red color indicates to stop; this color is utilized to obtain people’s attention. Green color is utilized to let people know that it is satisfactory to continue, and finally yellow color is utilized for caution (Hanna and Remington, 1996, p. 323). Researchers have also revealed their observation that the color red, compared to any other color, helps the reader to retain the word or date in memory for longer time. These researches have also revealed the observation that important words are required to be red colored in order to put emphasis on the degree of importance of those words (Rapaport, 2004). Due to this fact people always mark their important things (dates or remainders of meetings) in red (Umilta and Moscovitch, 1994, p. 454). This paper is aimed at providing a detail analysis about whether the color red affects the condition of memorizing words for individuals. Method: Participants are given a list of 15 random black words to memorize. 1 minute was given to them to memorize and 1 minute has been allocated to write down those words to the extent that is possible. Then those participants have been given another set of 15 random red words and the previous procedure was repeated. There were two researchers to counter balance the process of experiment. There have been only 2 sets of 15 random words (every word has been of only 2 syllables long). The first researcher had "word set A" in red and "word set B" black. On the contrary, the second researcher had have "word set A" in black and "word set B" in red. During the experiment, the researcher will alternate between the colors given first to the participants.  Therefore, Participant 1 will get the red list first then the black. The next participant, Participant 2 will get the black list first then followed by the red. An aggregate of 152 red words and 142 black words have been selected for the survey. In the survey the participants are provided with all black words in one page and all red word in another page. Hypothesis: The color red does indeed enhance working memory; hence the number of words remembered should be higher when colored in red. This is the alternative hypothesis of the paper. However, the null hypothesis deals with the fact that the color red does not affect the working memory of people. Results: Figure 1: Total number of words (balck and red) given to each researcher The result related to the survey study conducted has revealed that a large number of participants have scored better performance in case of memorizing the red words compared to that of the black words. The outcome of the study of the second researcher reveals that more participants have shown better performance in memorizing red words than black words. In another study of the researcher 1 and researcher 2, the number of people correctly memorizing the red and black color was equal. This research study has thus revealed the fact that color red is more applicable in terms of providing greater level of attraction for the person under consideration in terms of increasing the level of memorization of the concerned word, image or picture etc. This is due to the fact that the red color is regarded as bright as well as it possesses a high level of contrast compared to the black color, which must set the specific word apart allowing the word or image to be easily remembered. The results of the research have finally revealed greater as well as statistically significant level of positive effects on the process of development of memorization of different words by the participants which have been marked by red color as opposed to black color. These observations are also evident from figure 2 and figure 3 (shown below) which reflect the facts that not only the average score has been high for the color red, but also the standard deviation of the score from the average is lower for the red colored words. This later aspects reveal that the red color is more easily memorized by the participants. Figure 2: The average score of the test Figure 3: The standard deviation of score of each color from the mean score Discussion: The research has been aimed at finding out whether adding color to the words would facilitate to raise memorization of those words. The total number of words given is provided in figure 1. Even though the outcomes have not been significant between each person group when making comparison between the remembrances of the black words, these results have close to the significant level of when comparing the remembrance of the red words. The outcomes have been differing of what the study has expected to be. The study was expected to reveal that one’s memory would best function when one red word is mixed up with the ten black words. The outcomes have revealed the fact that most of those reds words have been remembered when these red words have been alternated with the black words in place of just one particular red word has been counterbalanced against the remaining of the words which have been printed in black. Outcomes of the study have also revealed that it might be much better to emphasize on greater than one word to raise memorization when utilizing the color red. The outcomes may have been significantly different if another color (other than the color red) was to be utilized. Conclusion: As the research study has revealed, finding the color which best stimulates the process of memorization could raise an individual’s study skills. A divergent study could be utilized to test the divergent colors to see whether a certain color has the probability to increase the memorization of different single words. Another research study could be generated to reveal whether different types of colors show an improvement in memorization of different single words in comparison with the phrases. Hence, it can be argued that the red color creates significant level of positive effects on the process of memorization of different words and other images and themes as compared to the color black. Greater amounts of people in the world feel more comfortable in the process of memorizing different words when these words are marked with the color red compared to black. Hence, it can be opined that the color red helps in the process of memorizing for any people. Alternatively it can be opined that the color red influences the working memory of an individual. References: 1. Hanna, A., & Remington, R. (1996), The representation of color and form in long-term memory. Memory and Cognition, Vol. 24, No. 3, pp. 322-330 2. Rapaport, W. J. (2004), How to study, retrieved on June 11, 2012 from: www.cse.buffalo.edu/~rapaport/howtostudy.html 3. Umilta, C. and Moscovitch, M. (1994), Attention and Performance Xv: Conscious and Nonconscious Information Processing, USA: MIT Press Read More