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Previous research has shown that red can increase men’s perception of women’s attractiveness. However, this effect is absent under certain conditions, such as when women have masculine, unattractive, or older features. We sought to test whether this red-attraction effect would be present at the other end of the continuum, specifically, for highly a...
Citations
... The selection of these three dimensions considered both the evaluation aspect of general subjective evaluation experiments and the specific characteristics of lipstick. Some previous studies have researched the color of cosmetics through Internet survey (Mulhern et al., 2003;Pazda et al., 2023), which may affect the rendering effects owing to the absence of rigorous control of the color stimuli (Elliot, 2018). Other studies have investigated the effects of different lighting on red cosmetic products in a lighting booth (Khanh and Bodrogi, 2016), which is detached from actual usage scenarios where cosmetic products are actually applied to the skin. ...
... They were vital factors related to fertility and served as important cues for males in assessing potential mate values. Additionally, studies have demonstrated that the color red can enhance the perceived sexual receptivity and intent of women (Pazda et al., 2012(Pazda et al., , 2023. Compared to orange red and cameo red shades, true red may possess more distinctive arousing properties, leading to higher ratings from male observers. ...
Lipstick is one of the most commonly used cosmetics, which is closely associated with female attractiveness and influences people’s perception and behavior. This study aimed to investigate the impact of light sources, lipstick colors, as well as gender on the subjective assessment of lipstick color products from the prospective of color preference, purchase intention and sexual attractiveness. The correlation between color preference evaluations when applying lipstick on lips and on forearms was also explored. Sixty participants completed their visual assessment of 15 lipsticks worn by 3 models under 5 light sources, with uniformly sampled correlated color temperature (CCT) values ranging from 2,500 K to 6,500 K. The results indicated that the light source significantly influenced color preference and purchase intention, while lipstick color significantly impacted on sexual attractiveness. The interactions between gender and other factors were also observed and are discussed. Compared to men, women were found to be more sensitive to different light sources and hold different attitudes toward different lipstick colors under different CCTs. Interestingly, no significant correlation was found between lipstick color preference ratings on the lips and forearm, which conflicted with the commonly recognized way of lipstick color selection. These findings should contribute to a deeper understanding of the consumer attitude toward lipstick colors and provide a useful reference for lighting design in situations where cosmetics are specified, manufactured, retailed and generally used, both professionally and in the home.
... When red is applied to the body interacting with features such as waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), it may reduce the masculine bias and potentially trigger red-love-feminine associations. Numerous studies have shown that red is associated with love, romance, and sexual attractiveness Jonauskaite et al., 2020a;Pazda et al., 2021). For instance, red roses and hearts symbolize love on Valentine's Day, and red lingerie signifies romance in literature. ...
Color is associated with gender information (e.g., red-female). However, little has been known on the effect of color on sex recognition of human bodies. This study aimed to investigate whether the color red could influence the categorization of human bodies by sex, and the effect of contextual information. Visual stimuli were created using body silhouettes varying along the waist-to-hip ratio from female to male shapes. These stimuli were presented in conjunction with red, green, and gray colors, which were used either as body color (Experiment 1) or background color (Experiment 2). Participants were instructed to categorize the sex of the body stimuli as either male or female by pressing labeled keys. The results showed that when red was used as a body color, it induced a bias toward feminine body perception, while when used as a background color, it induced a bias toward masculine body perception. Thus, the color red influenced the sex categorization of human bodies, which being modulated by contextual information. These findings provided novel insights into the effect of contextual color cues in sex recognition of human bodies.
... In the context of mating, red is often associated with lust, passion, and fertility (for other contexts, see Elliot & Maier, 2012). Evidence suggests that this "red-sex link" can be traced back in ancient (Knight et al., 1995;Ragas & Kozlowski, 1998) and modern times, as illustrated in Valentine's Day hearts and roses, in "red-light-districts," in cosmetics, or in fashion (e.g., lingerie; Pazda et al., 2023). Elliot and Niesta (2008) proposed two basic but related sources for this "red-sex link." ...
In this chapter, we review the current literature on (a) the color red and perceived (sexual) attractiveness and (b) if (especially women) use red clothing to attract potential mates. We identify several limitations in the literature to draw the conclusion that red can be used as a mate attraction tactic.
Keywords: Synonyms Red-romance effect; Red-sex link; Romantic red; Strategic sexual signaling
... Similar to women's use of eyeliner to increase perceptions of their overall health (Russell, Porcheron, Sweda, Jones, Mauger & Morizot, 2016), red clothing could augment existing cues in their bodies that men use to identify health (e.g., skin) or provide a heuristic signal of women's interest through non-physiological means. In anticipation of a sexual encounter, particularly in shortterm contexts, women opt to wear red (Prokop & Hromada, 2013), which augments their attractiveness and perceptions of their sexual receptivity that would implicate them as an optimal reproductive opportunity for men (Elliot, Tracy, Pazda & Beall, 2013;Niesta-Kayser, Elliot & Feltman, 2010;Pazda, Elliot & Greitemeyer, 2012, Pazda, Prokop & Elliot, 2014, Pazda, Thorstenson & Elliot, 2021. ...
... She was presented in front of a white background in Qualtrics software to optimize the contrast to ensure participants could view the target color more readily. It is important to note that the online nature of this experiment did not allow for rigorous control of participants' displays and, therefore, color stimuli (see Pazda, Thorstenson & Elliot, 2021). ...
... Alternatively, the inconsistency in findings in this study with related programs of research could reflect various methodological heterogeneities (see Peperkoorn, Roberts & Pollet, 2016;Pollet, Costello, Groeneboom, Peperkoorn & Wu, 2019). Much of the research investigating color perception involves laboratory settings with rigorous controls on the hues and saturation in computer-presented stimuli (for a discussion, see Pazda, Thorstenson & Elliot, 2021). Future research would benefit from considering various testing methods to identify best practices in stimulus presentation. ...
Previous research indicates that women frequently use red clothing to signal their sexual receptivity, with men and women both recognizing this as a reliable cue to such receptivity. Nonetheless, receptivity cues can inform perceptions of women's culpability for experiencing sexual assault. Thus, women experiencing sexual assault could become more of a target for victim‐blaming if assaulted while wearing red. Such victim‐blaming could be especially apparent especially among those who believe the world is just. The current study presented a sexual assault vignette to American undergraduates (155 women, 66 men) describing a woman wearing either red or green whom participants evaluated for the degree of culpability she has for the assault. Results indicated that the red‐wearing target was viewed as more culpable for the assault, particularly for women with heightened just‐world beliefs. We frame results from an evolutionary framework considering victim‐blaming as part of women's intrasexual competition.
... Similar to women's use of eyeliner to increase perceptions of their overall health (Russell, Porcheron, Sweda, Jones, Mauger & Morizot, 2016), red clothing could augment existing cues in their bodies that men use to identify health (e.g., skin) or provide a heuristic signal of women's interest through non-physiological means. In anticipation of a sexual encounter, particularly in shortterm contexts, women opt to wear red (Prokop & Hromada, 2013), which augments their attractiveness and perceptions of their sexual receptivity that would implicate them as an optimal reproductive opportunity for men (Elliot, Tracy, Pazda & Beall, 2013;Niesta-Kayser, Elliot & Feltman, 2010;Pazda, Elliot & Greitemeyer, 2012, Pazda, Prokop & Elliot, 2014, Pazda, Thorstenson & Elliot, 2021. ...
... She was presented in front of a white background in Qualtrics software to optimize the contrast to ensure participants could view the target color more readily. It is important to note that the online nature of this experiment did not allow for rigorous control of participants' displays and, therefore, color stimuli (see Pazda, Thorstenson & Elliot, 2021). ...
... Alternatively, the inconsistency in findings in this study with related programs of research could reflect various methodological heterogeneities (see Peperkoorn, Roberts & Pollet, 2016;Pollet, Costello, Groeneboom, Peperkoorn & Wu, 2019). Much of the research investigating color perception involves laboratory settings with rigorous controls on the hues and saturation in computer-presented stimuli (for a discussion, see Pazda, Thorstenson & Elliot, 2021). Future research would benefit from considering various testing methods to identify best practices in stimulus presentation. ...
Previous research indicates that women frequently use red clothing to signal their sexual receptivity, with men and women both recognizing as a reliable cue to this receptivity. Nonetheless, receptivity cues can inform perceptions of women’s culpability for experiencing sexual assault. Thus, women experiencing sexual assault could become more of a target for victim-blaming if assaulted while wearing red, especially among those who believe the world is just. The current study presented a sexual assault vignette describing a woman wearing either red or green with participants indicating the extent they perceived her as culpable for the assault. Results indicated that the red-wearing target was viewed as more culpable for the assault, particularly for women with heightened just-world beliefs. We frame results from an evolutionary framework considering victim-blaming as part of women’s intrasexual competition.
... Nonetheless, some studies have failed to support the "red-attractiveness" effect among men viewing women (e.g., Lehmann & Calin-Jageman, 2017). Pazda et al. (2021) argued that "…this effect is absent under certain conditions, such as when women have masculine, unattractive, or older features." Across three experiments, these researchers showed that men rated images of highly desirable female models as significantly more attractive when they were wearing red in comparison with when they were wearing green lingerie. ...
The perceived color of human skin is the result of the interaction of environmental lighting with the skin. Only by resorting to human skin spectral reflectance, it is possible to obtain physical outcomes of this interaction. The purpose of this work was to provide a cured and validated database of hyperspectral images of human faces, useful for several applications, such as psychophysics-based research, object recognition, and material modeling. The hyperspectral imaging data from 29 human faces with different skin tones and sexes, under constant lighting and controlled movements, were described and characterized. Each hyperspectral image, which comprised spectral reflectance of the whole face from 400 to 720 nm in 10 nm steps at each pixel, was analyzed between and within nine facial positions located at different areas of the face. Simultaneously, spectral measurements at the same nine facial positions using conventional local point and/or contact devices were used to ascertain the data. It was found that the spectral reflectance profile changed between skin tones, subjects, and facial locations. Important local variations of the spectral reflectance profile showed that extra care is needed when considering average values from conventional devices at the same area of measurement.
