Colour and Psychology

We all love colours. When we were kids, most of us were provided with at least one set of colours, which we were encouraged to use to fill up the pages of drawing notebooks or colour books. And I would like to believe we felt good getting our hands messy with those colours. It is very much possible that we projected our thoughts and feelings through those colours. This is what the fascinating field of colour psychology believes. Colour is not only a medium of expression but also influences our perceptions and behaviours. 

We can see examples of colour's influence in our everyday life. What colour do we associate with danger? It is red, isn't it? The red colour is also associated with love, romance, and eroticism. Stimulants pills are often red in colour. It seems that the red colour is very successfully in easily capturing our attention, and leaves us emotionally charged. Probably it is of no wonder what flags of many countries with a history of struggle against oppression and colonisation tend to have red on their flag symbolising blood, in order to make the citizens remind the sacrifice the people made. 

Colours have been used in practical use as well. Countries that have used blue street lightings have seen a decrease in the rate of suicide, as the colour is known for relaxing effects. In India, the colour green is associated with vegetarianism. Thus, vegetarian foods often come in green packages. The names of vegetarian restaurants are usually written in green. 

However, how colour influences individual perception also differs according to gender, age, and culture. The colours blue and pink are often used to categorise toys into either having been made for boys or for girls. The children also show a preference for the colour of toys based on their gender. However, this segregation of toys slowly disappears as children grow older. It should, however, be noticed that this preference is learned rather than being innate. 

Not all cultures have names for all the colours and their shades. Some cultures have just two colour words, while others have more than eight. It is incredibly difficult to describe or understand a colour if there is no word for it. Thus, it would be fair to assume that these two different cultures will associate different meanings to colours

The word of colours is surely a fascinating one. As more and more research is being conducted, we might be able to unravel more mysteries.