Do certain colors make people feel specific emotions? It has been prove that different colors do produce different emotions. “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.” To learn more about possible effects colors have and reactions viewers have to them click on this link.
There are social culture effects as well as personal effects that colors have on humans. “You also have an innate reaction to color. For example, when you look at red, it does increase your heart rate. It is a stimulating color. This goes back to caveman days of fire and danger and alarm.” At a young age we are taught be alarmed when we see red, for example: red street lights, stop signs, and firefighter truck and police lights. So naturally when we see red, we are taught to be alarmed. It has been proven that seeing blue lowers blood pressure. I found an interesting article that tells one what to wear depending on ones mood.. click here for more details.
I found a website that states colors and what emotions they evoke, which I found interesting. Here is what it says:
Red: “Light red for joy and love; dark red for rage and anger, but also leadership and courage; pink for romance and feminine qualities; and rusty reds for fall and change.”
Green: “Yellow-greens for sickness and discord; dark green for ambition and prosperity; teal for emotional health and stability; and olive green for peace and harmony.”
Blue: “Light blue for heath, depth, stability and faith; dark blue for knowledge, power, trust and integrity.”
Purple: “Light purple for softness, nostalgia and romance; dark purple for moodiness, including unease, gloom or frustration or the much different sense of power and control.”
Yellow: “Light yellow for caution and trepidation; dark yellow for happiness, joy and freshness.”
Orange: “Yellow-orange or gold for prestige and wisdom; red-orange for pleasure, energy, health and desire; and dark orange for change or distrust.”
White & Black: “White for clarity, cleanliness and openness; black for power, elegance and mystery; and gray for calm and conservative.”
http://tympanus.net/codrops/2012/04/03/color-and-emotion-what-does-each-hue-mean/
I think that color evokes certain emotions from personal experience and what we learn from our culture. For example, when I walk into a red paint room I feel more anxious, where as when I am in a yellow room I feel more joy and happiness. Observe how you feel in different painted room and see if you sense a difference, too.
http://psychology.about.com/od/sensationandperception/a/colorpsych.htm
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/27/how-color-affects-our-moo_n_1114790.html
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HY9JHG3iqL8/T3c6w32DcQI/AAAAAAAAAFU/YIrVr9ePbJs/s1600/color-wheel-m.jpeg
It is really interesting to think that our emotional responses to color can still be traced back to the caveman days. One would think that evolution would deem it unnecessary and phase it out, but humans are still picking out paint colors for their wall based on what is the most “calming.” I know I am guilty of it. When I painted my room a few years ago I did some research and became convinced that green was a very peaceful color and decided to go with that. It’s really fascinating how something as simple as color can have such an effect on the human mind.
I almost think that it’s a given that certain colors to evoke emotion. Take yellow, for example. Yellow has always been associated with bright and cheery things, while black has always been associated with dark and gloomy things. However, a pretty clear third variable could be someone who loves black and finds happiness in anything black. This could definitely be a controversial topic, but I personally believe that colors can invoke emotion.
A color can completely effect your mood. Heres a link to an article on color psychology. I always thought it was true and try to wear red as often as I can because of this.
I definitely agree that certain colors evoke emotion and I feel as if everyone has their own opinion for what emotion is linked to what color. I like how you mentioned that our experiences impact our thought on the color and emotion. My living room at home is painted green and I always feel happy and calm in a green setting. It does not match up with the description of green in the article, but I can understand why they would link it to those emotions.