Colors and the Brain

What’s your favorite color? It’s a question we all have very strong opinions about because colors are powerful in many ways -- for changing mood, expressing emotions, even influencing action. While somewhat controversial, a whole world of modern color research has evolved to help marketers and others use color in productive ways. People respond to different colors in different ways, and these responses take place on a subconscious, emotional level. In the U.S., for example, the color black has long been associated with death, while white is believed to signify life and purity. In Asia, however, white is the traditional color of mourning. Americans generally associate trust and stability with the color blue, which is probably why so many businesses use it. However, Koreans associate more with pink and other pastel colors in this regard.

Whether you're contemplating room design, fashion design or website design, consider this.

One of the most recent pieces of research is from the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, that assessed how a red or blue background color on computer screens affected the work of 600 students. When the background was red, students responded with greater recall and attention to detail. When it was blue, they became more creative. According to color therapist Jill Morton of Colorcom in Honolulu, Hawaii, a possible explanation lies in the different wavelengths of the colors, causing people to perceive red objects as moving toward us and blue ones as moving away. She speculates that one reason for the finding was that students may have focused more on close detail work simply to get relief from the aggressiveness of the red background, but of course, it’s hard to know for sure. The colors you need at a given time will also shift according to events in your life.

Colors & The Brain (courtesy learning and behavior specialist, J Bartell) Specific colors generally have different effects on the human brain.

Black: self-confidence, power, strength
Blue: calming, lowers blood pressure, decreases respiration
Green: soothing, relaxing mentally as well as physically, helps those suffering from depression, anxiety, nervousness
Orange: energizes, stimulates appetite and digestive system
Pink: used in diet therapy as an appetite suppressant, relaxes muscles, relieves tension, soothing
Red: stimulates brain wave activity, increases heart rate, respirations and blood pressure
Violet: suppresses appetite, provides a peaceful environment, good for migraines
Yellow: energizes, relieves depression, improves memory, stimulates appetite

On the Internet, you'll see tons of blue sites. It seems to be the single color businesses want to use. This cool color depicts a business as professional and serious. But of course whatever you choose for your business, it will be based on a number of different factors, including personal choice.

More brain and self improvement information at J Bartell - Learning Specialist