by Hugh Manatee Wins » Mon Sep 25, 2006 10:43 pm
<!--EZCODE IMAGE START--><img src="http://www.assessmentpsychology.com/_borders/psych_masks_bxp52729t.jpg" style="border:0;"/><!--EZCODE IMAGE END--><br>Consider the way the CIA media polarizes the country by dividing us like opposing sports teams into 'Blue States' and Red States.'<br><br>Is this subliminal sanctioning of political parties?<br><br>Here are biological characteristics for red and blue with red being active and blue passive-<br><br>http://www.shibuya.com/garden/colorpsycho.html<br><!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>GENERAL COLOR REACTION<br>In broad way hues in the red area of the color wheel are called 'warm,' while those in the blue and green range are referred to as 'cool.' These terms are relative rather than absolute. Faber Birren defines this commonalty of the colors of the spectrum by associating each with two moods. <!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>The warm colors are active and exciting such as a red and its neighboring hues. The cool colors which are passive and calming are blue, violet and green. Likewise, light colors are active, while deep colors are likely to be passive.</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--> Modern researchers in Japan put their finger on this point precisely. For example, Choku Akashi (1986) demonstrates a number of his research results which imply that red is often felt to be active and may be connected in some circumstances with aggressive. In contrast to the warm colors, the cool colors are inactive or passive (see figure-2.) Faber Birren said "the rather strong observation is to be made that division of the spectrum into warm and cool colors holds very evident and simple meaning with reference to human personality." Indeed, though the conclusion may be largely empirical, warmth and coolness in color are dynamic qualities, <!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>warmth signifying contact with environment, coolness signifying withdrawal into oneself.</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--> In conclusion, emotionally the red is exciting the blue is subduing. Physically and physiologically, the same sort of complementation exists. Red colors tend to increase bodily tension, to stimulate the autonomic nervous system, but green and blue colors release tension and have a lesser physiological effect. It is to be granted, of course, that direct connections exist between the brain and the body and that reactions take place independently of thought or deliberation. (Birren '55)<br><br>COLOR TEST<br>Conventional psychology dismisses any supposed ability on the part of color to influence the complexity of the human personality. However, some psychiatrists use color tests, in combination with other kinds of tests, to help make a diagnosis (Valey 1980). Color is most commonly associated with the affective or the emotional as opposed to the intellectual side of life. A color tests which are generally known are Rorschach Inkblot Method in 1921, the Color Pyramid Test (CPT) in 1950 by Max Pfister, and the Color Test in 1948 by Max Luscher in figure-1. One of the recent studies is Color Communication by Choku Akashi in Japan (figure-2). He surveyed the relation between human emotions and color preferences using his color chart which is composed of 36 colors in combinations of two colors, and interviewed 79,325 people from children to adults for eight years. (see the PROSPECTS)<br><br>CHILDREN'S PICTURE<br>Children have been made guinea-pigs in attempts to discover if, and to what extent, human response to color is inborn or culturally conditioned. For their book Painting and Personality, Rose H.Alschuler and La.. Berta Weiss Hattwick had the opportunity to study young children and their painting over a long period of time and with a knowledge of their back grounds (figure-3). They concluded that a delight in color showed emotional tendencies, and the frequent use of blue or black implied self-control and repression of emotion. As might be expected, red had the highest effective value and revealed uninhibited expression. Yellow seemed to go with infantile traits and dependence on grown-ups. Green showed balance, fewer emotional impulses, a simple and an uncomplicated nature. In a similar study, Atsushi Asari defines the mean of 12 colors and 17 combinations of colors with a similar method of Alschuler and Hattwick (figure-2). Particularly, a commonalty of their childrens' research can be seen in purple. This color would imply unhappiness that might be associated with sickness or death.<br><br>CHROMOTHERAPY<br>The ancient Egyptians, Chinese, and Indians had believed in chromotherapy, or healing with colors. In chromotherapy, red is believed to stimulate physical and mental energies, yellow to stimulate the nerves, orange to stimulate the solar plexus and revitalize the lungs, blue to soothe and heal organic disorders such as colds, hay fever, and liver problems, and indigo to counteract skin problems and fevers.(Paul '89) Most people have skeptical opinion about color healing, however, the medical profession makes use of color in certain treatments. For instance, premature babies with jaundice are cured by a chemical reaction triggered by exposure to blue light for several days. The relation between blue light and jaundice is beginning to be well understood scientifically. (Kaiser, '84)<br><br>ENVIRONMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY<br>In environmental study with color and light, conducted by visual-arts professor Harry Wohlfarth and Catharine Sam of the University of Alberta, the color environment of fourteen severely handicapped and behaviourally disordered eight to eleven years old was altered. It involved substituting yellow and blue for orange, white, beige and brown and replacing fluorescent lights with full-spectrum ones. After a change in color and lighting environment, the children's aggressive behavior diminished and then blood pressure dropped. Interestingly, the same effects were found in both blind and sighted children in Wohlfarth and Sam's study. This suggests that color energies affect in ways that transcend seeing. <!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>One hypotheses is that neurotransmitters in the eye transmit information about light to the brain even in the absence of sight, and that this information releases a hormone in the hypothalamus that has numerous effects on our moods, mental clarity, and energy level. In what Wohlfarth calls the science of 'Colorpsychodynamics,' colors that seem to increase blood pressure, pulse, and respiration rate are, in order of increasing effects, warm colors such as red, orange and yellow. This effects the same as Faber Birren's study which mentioned before.</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--><br><br>METHODS OF RESEARCH<br>The methods of research in psychological effects of color are divided into two typical categories. One of the methods is represented the study of childrens' paintings of Alschuler and Hattwick. On the other side, there is another methods which is survey of using color chart of Choku Akashi's study. Compared of these research are as follows:<br>period age number of samples<br>Alschuler & Hattwick 2 years 3-4 yrs. 15 people<br>Choku Akashi 8 years wide range 79,325 people<br><br>The obvious problem of Alschuler and Hattwick is the length of time and subjects. However, this methods is effective way because color is emphasized whenever powerful emotions were presented in children's painting, in other words, children with strong emotional drives had strong preferences for certain color. After Alschuler and Hattwick's research, another research group that investigated children's picture, was founded in Japan. They have continued their research for 40 years and brought the result to a conclusion which can be seen in Atsushi Asari's report. (figure-2)<br>Choku Akashi's research shows deep consideration. He uses his own color chart with 11 single colors and 25 color combinaitons and testing carefully with following matters:<br>1) tries testing under a specific light source.<br>2) establishes the viewing conditions.<br>(inclines the color chart at 30 degree and set it 50cm from the observer.)<br>3) changes the color arrangement in the chart every six months due to consider the possible effects of simultaneous contrast.<br>This color test elicits a feeling from the testee at that moment. Indeed, the purpose of this test is to know the feeling or the mood at the time rather than the person's unchangeable personality. It is hoped that this research will be conducted under the same condition in the other countries.<br>In this research, combinations of two colors have a special meaning besides those of a color. For instance, combination yellow and blue represents a conflict between the opposing drives to remain infantile and to grow up in Alschuler and Hattwick's research. Similarly, the same color combination represents 'anxious' in both Choku Akashi and Atsushi Asari's studies. Thus, this is an important factor in these research methods.<br><br>PROSPECTS<br>When the results of various studies are compared, some cultural differences can be found. For instance, in Faber Birren's study direct association (see APPENDIX) some of the specific color associations in the United States can be seen. However, it might be expected that essentially the same results would be shared by all countries. In one attempt to get more objective data on this topic, Color preferences between America and Japan (figure -4) were investigated. <!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>Especially interesting are the color preferences by age, in which the lower grade students or infants prefer Red color, and Blue is preferred by older ages.</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--> Nevertheless, this series of statistical surveys which simply asked people to place colors in order of preference has some problems when compared with different countries. This is because the basis of the survey is not unified in each research. For example, the American and Japanese surveys do not correspond in term of years, time period, number of people, and notation of the colors. These factors have to be examined and unified all kind of researches. Furthermore, because names of colors are different in each country, the color names should be accurately noted in a color space to improve the international research of color psychology. Although the ISCC-NBS dictionary of color names (figure-5) showed the ISCC-NBS names assigned to colors with various Munsell Values and Chromas, and Munsell Hues, it is changing slightly in the different countries. (figure-6) Therefore, with a view to developing of the field of color psychology, it is necessary to be consistent in all countries. For this research the five basic Munsell hues (Red, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple) are used, as well as Orange and Brown, because these colors are relatively common. Moreover, three neutral colors, White, Gray and Black, are included. The ten colors are then combined in all of the possible combinations of two.<br>In addition, the researchers should recognize the basic colorimetry which the stimulus for color is provided by the proper combination of a source of a light, an object, and an observer.<br><br>SUMMARY<br>Recently, consulting business using the color psychology is getting attention. The consultant is called 'Colorist' or 'Color consultant.' Although the field of color psychology is undeveloped, most colorist convince clients using this term as a magic word. Certainly, the importance of Colors in an environment are widely recognized by the public. But, in term of a lofty study, this field is still not accepted by the public. Therefore, it is too dangerous and establish to use the superficial knowledge of the color psychology.<br>In conclusion, in order to form this field as well accepted, world-wide cooperation, research and unification are strongly desired. Especially, before the public becomes skeptical and blames this field and deeds on colorists.<br>This research should be continued and expanded in the future. <br><br><hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--> <p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://p216.ezboard.com/brigorousintuition.showUserPublicProfile?gid=hughmanateewins>Hugh Manatee Wins</A> at: 9/25/06 9:02 pm<br></i>