Understanding Colour - Research Paper Example

Psychological Aspects of Color Affiliation with more information about affiliation, research grants, conflict of interest and how to contact Psychological Aspects of Color Psychology can be perceived as the scientific study of human mind and its functions, affecting the behavior of an individual. Humans have different perceptions and viewpoints about a particular thing or situation and behave accordingly. The human mind is attracted to a number of things and hence perceive about that thing according to their state of mind.

Color affects the human mind in different ways and also they inform people the traits of different things in the world. Colors play a very important role in the life of human beings. People recognize everything whether natural or man-made (like the sun, metals like Gold, traffic rules, flags of different nations, the flowers etc) with reference to their color. Some of the primary colors such red, blue, yellow and green have certain defined connotations in human life. These colors also have connection to the human to mind in terms of recognizing different characteristics of the surroundings they live in.

Color can also be considered as a form of non-verbal communication as they carry such feelings as anger and hope, and symbolize such concepts as sinfulness and innocence.  The meaning of color changes from person to person and from one day to the other. For example: Red is the color of courage and strength to one individual and the color of anger, violence and passion to another. There are visual, symbolic, emotional, physiological and psychological effects of color. For example, there are biological reactions to color like we come to know that the food is stale and not fit to eat by seeing its color, by the color of the sky we recognize that it is about to rain.

Colors also refer to symbolism like blue represents sky and water, white represents the moon and yellow represents the sun. Besides, colors also are deployed to connote to notions such as safety like red on road means to stop, green to move etc. Colors also influence our brain waves, nervous system and hormonal activity like we feel more relaxed and calm if we are sitting in a blue room, more tensed in yellow rooms while red increases blood pressure and heart rate. Colors by way of Color therapy also helps in curing various ailments, in “Countries like in China, India, and Japan, colors are used in alternative medicine”.

“Orange is considered good for depression, yellow for diabetes, green for ulcers and spiritual fatigue, and blue-violet for epilepsy. Each color’s wavelength “carries and transmits energy” to the bodily part having that color (Mert, 2001, par.6). This energy removes physical and emotional disorders, and colorful rays directly influence the neural system. Thus, “different illnesses are treated with different rays of colors having different tones and impacts” (Mert, 2001, par.6). Colors have many positive effects on humans and, therefore, they are being used in “treating various ailments” (O’Conner, 2009, p.231). In addition, colors also help humans to identify various fruits, vegetables and eatables.

The color conveys meaning to a consumer and sets up flavor and performance. Food coloring influences individuals’ ability to identity flavors. The expectation color of a food is linked to its palatability as illustrated by a study by Moskowitz (1978). In this study, “subjects ate a meal of steak, French fries, and peas under color-masking conditions. Halfway through the meal, normal lighting was restored to reveal blue steak, green French fries and red peas. The mere sight of the food was enough to induce nausea” in some of them (Mahony, 2001, p.3). Besides, colors also have an effect on the moods of people.

It is a matter of common knowledge that people associate red color with danger, white with peace, green with nature and so on. Thus, it transpires that colors influence the human psychology in several ways. It also informs them of different aspects of nature things etc both natural as well as artificial. Besides, colors evoke different associations within foods. A “red apple is presumed ripe and sweet, green grapes are sweet and ripe, while a green apple is either tart or unripe” (Mahony, 2001, p.3). Research has proved that colors affect lives of human beings in different ways.

It affects the mood, behavior, lifestyle, way of thinking, health aspects, eating habits, way of living and everything around. One cannot imagine a life without colors, A life without colors will be like a “Fish without water” completely lifeless. Imagine a tree without its color, a colorless food, the sky, flowers or anything without color, it is unimaginable, similarly life without color is unimaginable. Reference List Mahony, A. (2001). Effect of Color on the Odor, Flavor, and Acceptance Properties of Food and Beverages.

Kansas State University. Retrieved from http://krex.k-state.edu/dspace/bitstream/handle/2097/9188/AmyMahony2011.pdf?sequence=5 Mert, M. (2001). An Essay on Color. The Fountain Magazine.com. Retrieved from http://www.fountainmagazine.com/Issue/detail/An-Essay-on-Color O’Conner, Z. (2009). Color Forum: Color Psychology and Color Therapy: Caveat Emptor. Academia.edu. Retrieved from http://www.academia.edu/590819/Color_psychology_and_color_therapy_Caveat_emptor