Top Stories - Posted by Susan Hagen-Rochester on Friday, June 3, 2011 11:06 - 5 Comments 
(2 votes, average: 4.50 out of 5)
Loading ...
(2 votes, average: 4.50 out of 5) Loading ...For a boost of speed, see red
When humans see red, their reactions become both faster and more forceful. And people are unaware of the color's intensifying effect. The findings may have applications for sporting and other activities in which a brief burst of strength and speed is needed, such as weightlifting. But the authors caution that the color energy boost is likely short-lived. (Credit: J. Adam Fenster, University of Rochester)
U. ROCHESTER (US) — The color red can give you a quick jolt of energy, making you quicker and stronger. But researchers say the boost may come at a cost.
Share this article
Email
Republish this article
The text of this article by Futurity is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivatives License.
“Red enhances our physical reactions because it is seen as a danger cue,” explains study co-author Andrew Elliot, professor of psychology at the University of Rochester. “Humans flush when they are angry or preparing for attack,” he explains. “People are acutely aware of such reddening in others and it’s implications.”
But threat is a double-edged sword, argue Elliot and coauthor Henk Aarts, professor of psychology at Utrecht University in the Netherlands. Along with mobilizing extra energy, “threat also evokes worry, task distraction, and self-preoccupation, all of which have been shown to tax mental resources,” they write in a paper published in the latest issue of the journal Emotion.
In earlier color research, exposure to red has proven counterproductive for skilled motor and mental tasks: athletes competing against an opponent wearing red are more likely to lose and students exposed to red before a test perform worse.
“Color affects us in many ways depending on the context,” explains Elliot, whose research also has documented how men and women are unconsciously attracted to the opposite sex when they wear red. “Those color effects fly under our awareness radar,” he says.
The study measured the reactions of students in two experiments. In the first, 30 children and teens pinched and held open a metal clasp. Right before doing so, they read aloud their participant number written in either red or gray crayon. In the second experiment, 46 undergraduates squeezed a handgrip with their dominant hand as hard as possible when they read the word “squeeze” on a computer monitor. The word appeared on a red, blue, or gray background.
In both scenarios, red significantly increased the force exerted, with participants in the red condition squeezing with greater maximum force than those in the gray or blue conditions. In the handgrip experiment, not only the amount of force, but also the immediacy of the reaction increased when red was present.
The colors in the study were precisely equated in hue, brightness, and chroma (intensity) to insure that reactions were not attributable to these other qualities of color.
“Many color psychology studies in the past have failed to account for these independent variables, so the results have been ambiguous,” explains Elliot.
The study focused exclusively on isometric or non-directional physical responses, allowing the researcher to measure the energy response of participants, though not their behavior, which can vary among individuals and situations. The familiar flight or fight responses, for example, show differing reactions to threat.
More news from the University of Rochester: www.rochester.edu/news
Please wait
5 Comments
Ronaldo Aquino
Everybody knows red cars always go faster. Just ask anyone who owns a Mustang or Corvette.
FG
…or a red bike.
redcrucible2
Ferrari is the only red car worth it to be mentioned.
cinque neri
In Las Vegas casinos try to avoid the use of red because of its negative influence on players behavior. The color red is perceived as danger and players expose to it tend to be more cautious and play less.
The article is doing a good job in highligting how the study of color psychology is far from exhaustive. I really like the post and I will use some of the content on my site http://www.online-fps.com/multiplayer/red-crucible/ if you’re ok with that.
We need more researchers on the subject and articles like this one.
The color red has been said to grab more attention as a result of environmental adaptation. Mostly because red symbolizes and emergency or something that needs out attention, such as an injury or a wound. It makes sense when we bleed it is obviously red and causes us to seek attention and care immediately. Red has also been used with training children in martial arts, gymnastics and other group classes, the children are drawn to the color red more than any other color so it can help them to line up and go to a desired area if the line or area is red. Pretty cool that it still works on adults.