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Color Preferences for Different Topics in Connection to Personal Characteristics
Abstract
Studies on color preferences are dependent on the topic and the relationships with personal characteristics, particularly personality, but these are seldom studied in one population. Therefore a questionnaire was collected from 1095 Dutch people asking for color preferences about different topics and relating them to personal characteristics. Color preferences regarding different topics show different patterns and significant differences were found between gender, age, education and personality such as being technical, being emotional or being a team player. Also, different colors were mentioned when asked for colors that stimulate to be quiet, energetic, and able to focus or creative. Probably, due to unconsciousness of contexts, many people had no color preference, a result that in the literature seldom is mentioned. Blue was the overall favorite color; however, most males chose for blue (25%) while most females had no color preference (18%). Black was the overall favorite color for clothing, mainly chosen by females (40%), while males primarily chose blue (27%). For building interiors subjects preferred white. For moods, subjects preferred white for being quiet or being able to focus, red for being energetic and had no color preference for being creative. It is concluded that color preferences are dependent upon the topic, and personal characteristics. The findings are important for architects, interior designers, fashion designers and product designers to have a basic idea of preferred colors for different objects by different types of people. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 2013
... Taft (1997) compared the semantic evaluations of colour tests (chips) with those of similar colours connected in a variety of recognisable articles. Similarly, the colour preferences for different topics were observed in associations with personal attributes (Bakker et al., 2015). Colour can be described as a global perceptual improvement which is commonly regarded as a part of aesthetics (Elliot & Maier, 2014). ...
... For example, being technical, emotional or being a team player. Furthermore, unique hues were referenced by respondents when requested for colours that would stimulate them to become energetic, quiet, creative or concentrate better (Bakker et al., 2015). ...
... In situations such as colour design where the professional designer wants to employ the affiliated colour meanings for value addition, colour chips may help as an affordable and viable medium to extract colour meanings, which accordingly may be anticipated along with constraints kept in the design. In this regard, significant findings were revealed for designers who designed interiors for various kinds of moods, or who chose colours concerning clothes for various types of individuals and product designers who chose colours for different kinds of items (Bakker et al., 2015). However, the literature remains at a developing stage of development (Elliot & Maier, 2014). ...
Overarching over both theoretical lenses as put forward by Hansen and Verkaaik (2009) and Simone and Pieterse (2017), the present paper presents a case in point of Gujjar Nala, in Karachi, focusing on aspects of urban resilience in the face of forced evictions, and the usage of creative tactics to deal with uncertainty.
Gujjar Nala is a natural drainage channel which starts from North Karachi and falls into the Lyari River near Mureed Goth (village). In one of its recent efforts (Ayub, 2016) to remove the encroachments along the 28kms long nala, the Karachi Municipal Corporation (KMC) removed four thousand structure, which had been built over a period of fifty years along the Nala. According to the KMC officials the objective behind the anti-encroachment drive was to streamline the sewerage scheme of the city and smoothen the storm-water drainage system. Strangely, the rubble of the removed structures was left at the demolishing site, and eventually ended up back in the Nala, causing further blockages to the flow of sewerage and storm water.
During the cycle of forced demolition of the structures, urban resilience was seen by the locals in the form of demonstrations and protests, but a year later resilience is seen in the various creative tactics that have been used to re-utilize the dismantled structures with a sense of aesthetics. The space reclaimed by the government authorities, as a result of the evictions has been re-occupied by the locals, using temporary coverings like fencing, fabric, asbestos sheets and screens, and is being used as extended living space, animal grazing, recreation, plantation and storage space. There are elements of aesthetics seen in these temporarily designed extended spaces, in the form of brightly colored painted walls, potted plants and usage of intricately designed screens.
While there is rich empirical literature on the informality in housing and land use in Karachi, few studies review the aftermath of evictions, and tactics of resilience adapted by locals to survive in the face of adversity. Using the lens of creativity, this paper analysis how locals deal with insecurity and threats like eviction, to come to terms with everyday reality. The research is based on qualitative research methods, using site visits and interviews of people directly impacted by the demolition process.
... Taft (1997) compared the semantic evaluations of colour tests (chips) with those of similar colours connected in a variety of recognisable articles. Similarly, the colour preferences for different topics were observed in associations with personal attributes (Bakker et al., 2015). Colour can be described as a global perceptual improvement which is commonly regarded as a part of aesthetics (Elliot & Maier, 2014). ...
... For example, being technical, emotional or being a team player. Furthermore, unique hues were referenced by respondents when requested for colours that would stimulate them to become energetic, quiet, creative or concentrate better (Bakker et al., 2015). ...
... In situations such as colour design where the professional designer wants to employ the affiliated colour meanings for value addition, colour chips may help as an affordable and viable medium to extract colour meanings, which accordingly may be anticipated along with constraints kept in the design. In this regard, significant findings were revealed for designers who designed interiors for various kinds of moods, or who chose colours concerning clothes for various types of individuals and product designers who chose colours for different kinds of items (Bakker et al., 2015). However, the literature remains at a developing stage of development (Elliot & Maier, 2014). ...
The future of smart city relies on technology that integrates information and communication through the foundation of rapidly growing capabilities of “Internet of Things (IoT)”. With the advancement of Virtual Reality (VR) technologies, it has emerged to become one of the most promising technology for application in various fields including architectural design, construction and property development. As VR technologies become more accessible to the consumer markets, this study is directing the potential of integrating VR technology as an interface that allows end-user’s interactions and experience the future home design, not only focuses on the visual aesthetics, physical preferences and spatial needs, but also considers the emotional well-being of future occupants. A smart city needs to be emotionally-intelligent and requires a strategy aimed at producing a humanised environment tuned to emotional needs of occupants. Drawing on the widely accepted S–O-R framework, the study is currently developing a model to illustrate the inter-relationships between a VR-simulated home environment system with emotional reaction and behavioural response of potential Smart Home buyers. The proposed framework is expected to lead towards an improved practical approach in Smart Home design while facilitating marketing for developers for future Smart Home projects in smart city development.KeywordsEmotion-IntelligentVirtual RealityBuilt Environment InformaticsSmart HomesSmart City Development
... Several studies have observed preferences for green-blue hues (Palmer & Schloss, 2010;Palmer et al., 2013;Schloss et al., 2013;Westland & Shin, 2015) with blue often the favourite hue (Bakker et al., 2015;Dittmar, 2001;Eysenck, 1941;Schloss et al., 2013). Other studies have observed popularity of reds and blues and unpopularity of yellows (Guilford & Smith, 1959;Hurlbert & Ling, 2007;O'Donovan et al., 2011;Palmer & Schloss, 2010). ...
... Context had relatively mild effects on the most popular colours, yet the relatively unpopular yellow and orange were more preferred in the context of wall colours. For clothes, a person's colour preferences do not seem to differ from their general colour preferences (Bakker et al., 2015;Jonauskaite et al., 2016). Indeed, Lind (1993) reported that colours of favourite garments and dominant colours in the wardrobe were similar to stated general colour preferences. ...
... There are differences in hue preferences according to culture and gender (e.g. Al-Rasheed, 2015;Sorokowski et al., 2014), age and education (Bakker et al., 2015;Dittmar, 2001). Hence, a broader participant demography could qualify the clothing colour preferences reported here. ...
Fashion stylists advise clothing colours according to personal categories that depend on skin, hair and eye colour. These categories are not defined scientifically, and advised colours are inconsistent. Such caveats may explain the lack of formal tests of clothing colour aesthetics. We assessed whether observers preferred clothing colours that are linked to variation in melanin levels among White women. For this, we presented 12 women's faces: six with fair skin (relatively lower in melanin) and six with tanned skin (relatively higher in melanin). Across two experiments, observers ( N = 96 and 75) selected the colour (hue and saturation or hue and value) of simulated clothing that most suited the skin tone of each face. Observers showed strong preferences for red and blue hues, and in addition favoured ‘cool’ blue hues to match fair skin and ‘warm’ orange/red hues to match tanned skin. This finding suggests that skin tone can determine colour preferences for clothes.
... Further, a couple of remarks about some of our findings and some generalizations. Our results regarding the blue as the most preferred color (Figure 3) are consistent with the majority of the work on color preferences and color categorization within different methodological settings and theoretical frameworks (Bakker et al., 2013;Schloss and Palmer, 2010;Valdez and Mehrabian, 1994), for a consistent cross-cultural evidence see Madden et al. (2000); for a previous study within a similar setting see Šķilters et al. (2018a). ...
... For instance, depressed raters would eventually rate dark colors higher; this can be generalized in a congruence principle: "people like colors with emotional associations that match the self's emotions" (Robinson et al., 2015, p. 671; see also Fetterman et al., 2014;Taylor et al., 2013). This in general indicates dependency of color preferences on the mood of raters (Bakker et al., 2013). ...
... The results showed that color preferences show different patterns on different topics. For instance, black (by women) and blue (by men) were chosen as the favorite color for clothes while, in relation to the interior spaces of the building, they mainly preferred white color (Bakker et al., 2015). Previous studies have evaluated color preferences as well as the effect of color on people separately from each other for different ages and genders. ...
... Numerous studies have been conducted to find the effects of age and gender on color preferences, the results of which show differences in the results obtained for different ages and genders (Bakker et al., 2015;Huang & Xu, 2009;van der Voordt et al., 2017). Therefore, to find more accurate results in studies related to color preferences of individuals, either age and gender should be considered constant or their differences should be shown. ...
Colors in the learning environment are likely to affect students’ memory. In addition, each individual’s interest and attitude towards colors change over time under the influence of different factors. Thus, this very question arises “what is the relationship between color preferences and effects of colors on memory on students’ learning in learning environment?” This study focuses on the simultaneous evaluation of color preferences and the effect of colors on memory with the aim of improving the quality of learning of grade1 primary school students who are at the beginning of the learning path. A total of 180 students of both genders (male and female) from the grade-1 primary school were evaluated. In the first test, 8 copies were prepared from the modeled image of the interior of a classroom. The students were then asked to recall images of 9 objects placed on colored backgrounds after observing each copy. In the second test, they were asked which colors they would prefer to paint the classroom interior using the same copies but this time without images of objects and in the form of a qualitative questionnaire. The results were evaluated by SPSS, Friedman ranking test and Pearson’s correlation test. It was observed that there is a significant relationship between color preferences and color effects only in some colors. Moreover, the results indicated that, for achieving the desired results in terms of color selection of learning environments, the component of color preferences and color effects are required to be evaluated simultaneously and along with one another.
... Empirical investigations support the existence of universal and culture-specific patterns for colour meanings. The overall favourite colours have been ordered as follows: blue; red or green; and then yellow (Aslam, 2006;Bakker et al., 2015;Cyr et al., 2010;Madden et al., 2000). Ou et al.'s (2018) quantitative modelling techniques based on empirical data from 12 regions worldwide presented consistent, culture-independent patterns for colour emotions (regarding warm/cool, heavy/light, active/passive). ...
... In contrast, in an orange retail environment, orange packaged chocolate was preferred. In a similar vein, Bakker et al. (2015) found different colour preferences among the Dutch: white was preferred in residential and office environments; however, black was mentioned as the favourite colour for clothing (more by females than males). ...
Colours influence the way people feel, think, and behave. The globalising (internet) economy induces traditions and beliefs to be transferred from one society to another. Nevertheless, although people may now act more globally, they also still act locally within their cultural groups. This points to the possibility of continuous change in universal and culturally specific colour associations. Therefore, this study aims to investigate variations in colour associations across cultures. To get a better grip on the global impact on the cultural dynamics, cultural groups are distinguished through self-identified membership, instead of through country and nationality demographics. Specifically, a comparison is made with the colours for trust, emotion, and exclusivity between 1,218 individuals from four cultural (ethnic) groups: Dutch; French; Greek; and Russian. Participating in an online survey, they indicated their associations for colour variations of blue, red, yellow, and black. The results confirm general, universal colour associations. Some distinctive independent cultural specifics through varying colour brightness may possibly render the association more or less strong for the colour-attitude relationships of red for emotion and blue for trust. Pure yellow was a noticeable colour associated with emotion by the Russian group.
... Color is an important feature for the configuration of interior architecture and inhabitants well-being (Schloss and Palmer, 2009), but considerations about color preferences in buildings have been a difficult issue to be addressed by professionals (Serra Lluch, 2019). Color preference seems to be dependent upon the personal characteristics (Bakker et al., 2015) and the psychophysical structure (Manav, 2017). When colors are displayed in interiors, the spatial color experience scheme is compiled not just by biological reactions to color stimuli, but also by the expected activity to be developed in such an interior (Torres et al., 2020), rooted in collective unconscious, conscious symbolism and association, personal factors, trends, fashion and style (Meerwein, 2007). ...
... Nevertheless, there is a common claim that color preference cannot be asked independently of an object (Holmes et al., 1984;Taft, 1997) and when colors are contextualized on building exteriors, previous results indicate a tendency for pale colors (Cubukcu and Kahraman, 2008) as we obtained for interior architecture. Curiously, the closest to white color in Salubra (Sal 001), receives a low rating despite previous research demonstrating that white is the most preferred color for building interiors (Bakker et al., 2015;Kaya and Epps, 2004;Kwallek et al., 1997;Van Der Voordt et al., 2017). Preference for white is a usual bias in architecture students that relies on a misunderstanding in considering that iconic modern architecture was achromatic (Serra Lluch, 2010). ...
Color preference for the interior of a bedroom of Le Corbusier's Swiss Pavilion was studied using 1931 Salubra color keyboards in a cross-cultural analysis. Results indicate that students from architecture and interior design slightly dislike or are indifferent to Le Corbusier color combinations and prefer pale and low saturated colors for interior architecture. The least preferred colors belong to green and brown hues. Scarce significant gender differences are found that follow a stereotyped tendency, with females preferring pinks, light blues and light greens, while males vivid oranges and Vermilions. Near Easterners are significantly more likely to green colors, while Western Europeans to dark greys. These data indicate that not only hue, but also value and saturation are important color features to inform preference for interior architecture.
... In general, when considering stand-alone colors, the colors yellow, pink and white are associated with sincerity; red and orange are associated with excitement; blue is associated with competence; purple and black are associated with sophistication; brown is associated with robustness (Heller, 2012;Labrecque and Milne, 2012). However, the context wherein the colors are applied to (e.g., type of product, retail environment, cultural setting) also determines the colors' symbolic meaning (Bakker et al., 2013). Accordingly, the norms concerning color in branding should be carefully revised to incorporate findings whereby attractiveness and purchase intention of a product are investigated both in store context and in isolation. ...
... Following previous research concerning the influence of color on consumer behavior (see, for a review, Elliot and Maier, 2014;Gnambs et al., 2015;Gopikrishna & Kumar, 2015;Jonauskaite et al., 2016;Labrecque et al., 2013), our study examines how color perception influences product evaluation, namely, attractiveness and purchase intention. Symbolic color associations also depend on the products' positioning strategy (Ampuero and Vila, 2006) and product category (Bakker et al., 2013). For example, high price products are associated to dark colors and not to yellow, red or orange colors. ...
Color is one of the most elementary techniques used in marketing and produces behavioral effects reflecting purchase attitudes. However, packaging color has seldom been investigated in-context. Additionally, color research mainly focuses on individual colors, instead of color combinations. Here, we aim to study the putative effect that dominant retail environment colors might produce on attractiveness and product purchase intention, when products use similar store colors, and when products use complementary colors to those of the store. Moreover, we investigate if these choices are product dependent (e.g., do food and non-food products evoke the same packaging color choices in a given retail color context). A total of 653 participants were recruited to participate in two experimental studies disseminated through online platforms. Study 1 showed an interaction between store and product color significantly affecting both product attractiveness and purchase intention. Importantly, we found that the product category might modulate the complementary color-effect, in terms of attractiveness and purchase intention. Study 2 revealed that product-type subtends sensorial experience or semantic derivation mechanisms for preferred color choices. Together these studies unveil a complex relation between product type, context and color that possibly subtend different cognitive decision-making mechanisms. As such, colors cannot be considered as standalone variables in consumer decision making strategies. Here, we shed light into color perception and product strategy, thus helping marketers, retailers and designers to communicate more efficiently and to define a successful brand strategy.
... Previous studies 18,19 suggest that blue is the preferred colour in any context. A goodness of fit Chi square test was conducted to discover whether colour categories (yellow, red, green, blue) are equally preferred by the participants in both sample groups. ...
... This study's findings agree with other researchers who reported that overall blue is the favourite colour. [18][19][21][22][23] Chi square tests show an unequal distribution of responses in colour preferences. Blue has the highest preference percentage in both sets. ...
Basic design is the origin of many design‐related fields and covers different concepts such as pattern, colour, texture and relief. Because colour is rarely seen as a uniformly plain element, current research embraces colour and texture as equally important variables. Investigations consider the association of colour and texture in terms of preference. One hundred individuals trained in design, as well as 96 individuals not trained in design, participated in an experiment in a virtual and abstract environment. We chose four primary colours from Natural Colour System colour space (yellow, red, green and blue) with the same saturation and brightness values. They were associated with three different texture types (plain, basket and broken twill), which we obtained by scanning the physical textile samples. In the second part of the experiment, we attempted to find a relationship between colour and one texture variable, in this case texture strength. The results of the study do not verify the existence of a dependency between colour and texture in either sample group. Also, there is no verification that a relationship between colour and texture strength exists. Furthermore, the results show that overall blue is the most preferred colour. Moreover, all participants preferred fine textures to coarse ones. Design‐trained participants often associate fine strength level with basket texture whereas the non‐design–trained participants more often associate it with plain textures. Lastly, the majority of participants state that blue is their most preferred colour in fine rather than coarse textures.
... Most of the Tanzanian color applications are in warm tones of colors (Bakker et al., 2015). This is due to the induction of the sunlight scattering the skylight polarization pattern and spectral gradient (Kumar & Joshi, 2007), and these can be sources of physical selection and application of colors within Tropical areas like Tanzania. ...
To uncover the topic of color and its application in Tanzanian culture and trends, this paper describes the history and current
information about color applications among Tanzanians and ethnic groups belonging to the geographical regions in the country. Humans use color for many different reasons, both practical
and aesthetic. Through a fusion of different cultural trends and movements in ethnic groups, color applications in Tanzania have emerged through ritual aesthetics and contain the power of human nature. In a practical sense, color is mainly used as a representation of the black African struggle for liberation, ritual practices, and cultural ceremonies. The political influences, art,
and fashion have portrayed colors in a loud context, as it is so easy to identify Tanzanian people, especially women anywhere in the world for their use of bright color patterned Kanga and Kitenge fabrics. Tingatinga art with its unique warm color stories and black ebony wood sculptures has placed Tanzania in an international art scene for decades. Warm colors are favored in
Tanzania as in any other tropical country, which concludes the region theory factor that because the intensity of sunlight in the equatorial region increases the human red vision (Red Sightedness), so the warm color system is particularly preferred.
... Colors. 17 of the 18 colors were derived from a set of colors used in the work by Bakker, van der Voordt, Vink, de Boon, and Bazley (2015). After consulting two fashion experts, beige was added to the list, for the reason that beige is a prominent color in clothing. ...
Despite fashion being one of the most common and accessible aesthetic activities in everyday life, very few empirical studies of clothing selection and preferences exist. To address this empirical gap, an online survey of 500 participants was constructed. A four-factor preference structure, Everyday Clothing Preference Factors (ECPF), emerged, consisting of essential, comfortable, feminine, and trendy styles. Further analysis revealed the preference for each of these four factors to be associated with clothing colors and individual differences. The transferability of ECPF across three preference judgment types (clothing one likes and owns, clothing one likes but does not own, and clothing one owns but does not like) revealed the robustness of the preference structure, through which a short version of ECPF was created. The paper concludes by discussing the implications and impact of scientifically studying fashion as an object of aesthetics and empirical study.
... Because black and dark-tone materials absorb light, including that in the NIR region, the precision and accuracy of LiDAR sensors decrease significantly during the detection of these materials [7]. Humans have strong color preferences, and dark-toned objects make up a large proportion of vehicle components, human outfits, and industry markets [8]. Therefore, it is essential to overcome this drawback of LiDAR sensor systems for the realization of perfect autonomous vehicles and environments. ...
Light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensors utilize a near-infrared (NIR) laser with a wavelength of 905 nm. However, LiDAR sensors have weakness in detecting black or dark-tone materials with light-absorbing properties. In this study, SiO2/black TiO2 core/shell nanoparticles (SBT CSNs) were designed as LiDAR-detectable black materials. The SBT CSNs, with sizes of 140, 170, and 200 nm, were fabricated by a series of Stöber, TTIP sol-gel, and modified NaBH4 reduction methods. These SBT CSNs are detectable by a LiDAR sensor and, owing to their core/shell structure with intrapores on the shell (ca. 2-6 nm), they can effectively function as both color and NIR-reflective materials. Moreover, the LiDAR-detectable SBT CSNs exhibited high NIR reflectance (28.2 R%) in a monolayer system and true blackness (L* < 20), along with ecofriendliness and hydrophilicity, making them highly suitable for use in autonomous vehicles.
... Additionally, to date there is no published research on color shade emotion association in pre-school aged children. Preschool-aged children have less experience with societal norms and constructs (Bakker et al., 2015). Therefore, societal influence may have less of an impact on preschooler's color preferences and choices. ...
... Michaels [19] stated that using colour names for the actual colours was as good as performing colour preference tests. Some research studies successfully used this method [20]. ISSN 2227ISSN -1309 In this study, researchers adapted the verbal stimulus method demanding respondents to wr ite down their fav ourite colours without seeing them. ...
The purpose of this study was to establish the most preferred abstract colour among first year college students in Ghana. The total number of respondents were 797 with which 51.69% were female and 48.31% were males. The average age of the respondents was 19 years. Respondents were each given a piece of plain sheet to indicate their age, gender and their preferred colour choice. Researchers found out that the most preferred colour among the respondents was blue whereas orange was the least preferred colour. We recommend that product designers in Ghana should take these findings into consideration when coming out with new products for the college students between t he ages of 18-22.
... Beyond such tests, a few prior studies have tested the associations between colours and more established personality trait measures (Bakker et al., 2015;Bimler et al., 2014;Cigić & Bugarski, 2010;He et al., 2011;Lange & Rentfrow, 2007;Pazda & Thorstenson, 2018;Rosenbloom, 2006). Only two of these, however, directly tested the validity of col our-personality relationships (Bimler et al., 2014;He et al., 2011). ...
The claim that favourite colours reveal individuals' personalities is popular in the media yet lacks scientific support. We assessed this claim in two stages. First, we catalogued claims from six popular websites, and matched them to key Big Six/HEXACO trait terms, ultimately identifying 11 specific, systematic, testable predictions (e.g., higher Extraversion among those who prefer red, orange, yellow, pink, or turquoise). Next, we tested these predictions in terms of the Big Six personality trait scores and reports of favourite and least favourite colours from 323 French-speaking participants. For every prediction (e.g., red-extraversion), we compared trait scores between participants who chose or did not choose the predicted colour using Welch's t-tests. We failed to confirm any of the 11 predictions. Further exploratory analyses (MANOVA) revealed no associations between colour preferences and personality trait. Favourite colours appear unrelated to personality, failing to support the practical utility of colour-based personality assessment.
... There is a large literature on these issues. Our informal findings fit seamlessly into mainstream knowledge (Bakker et al., 2015;Beke et al., 2008;Note 29). ...
Responses to colored patterns were collected for a group of 60 naive participants. We explicitly aimed at affective responses, rather than aesthetic judgments, so this is not ‘color harmony’ proper. Patterns were mainly spatially highly structured compositions, the color palettes reminiscent of what is found in generic ‘colorist’ art. Color combinations systematically cover mono-, di-, and trichromatic chromatic chords, whereas there was always an additional achromatic component. This sets the research apart from the bulk of the mainstream literature on ‘color harmony.’ Various ways of analysis are compared. Clustering methods reveal that the responses are highly structured through the teal–orange (cool–warm) dimension. Clustering reveals a large group of mutually concordant participants and various small, idiosyncratic groups. When the data is coarse-grained, retaining only a limited red–blue–yellow palette, the group as a whole appears quite concordant. It is evident that responses are systematic, thus the notion of a universal affective response to color combinations gains some credibility. The precise affective responses are specific because constrained by the seven categories used in the experiment. Thus, the systematic structure is perhaps to be understood as the generic result. We discuss tangencies with various traits found with ‘colorist’ art styles.
... Although their study used colors in isolation, Biers and Richards (2005) also concluded that cool colors (e.g., purple and blue) elicited both higher attitude towards the ad and purchase intention. Furthermore, product category might exert a powerful influence in product evaluation (Bakker et al., 2015;Spence et al., 2014). In fact, the blue color is often associated with the technology category (Bottomley and Doyle, 2006). ...
The purpose of this paper is to study how color contrast (complementary vs. analogous colors) affect individuals’ attitude and purchase intention in the context of web banner advertising. Previous research on the effect of color in marketing stated that color is one of the most important factors for fast decisions regarding product choice. However, the study of color has mainly focused on isolated colors (hue) and color temperature (cool vs. warm colors). Thus, color contrast studies are lacking. Two experimental studies (Ntotal = 409) were conducted in the context of web banner advertising. Study 1 involved a service setting (a wireless internet service provider) and Study 2 focused on a product category (a wireless headphone set). Findings revealed that the blue-green analogous color set tend to elicit higher levels of both attitude towards the ad and purchase intention. The results were partially confirmed for Study 1 and (totally) confirmed for Study 2. This research work contributes to shed some light into color perception and e-commerce strategy thus helping marketers and designers to create more effective web banner advertisements.
... In order to assess the relation among offices colours and occupants' productivity, several researches have been conducted in the last decades, where participants performed tasks in test rooms under different walls colour layout conditions [10,[12][13][14][15]. Some authors compared detailed-oriented tasks against creative ones [12,14] to find out the most suitable colour to improve the cognitive task performances. During the experimental procedures, surveys are usually provided in order to understand subjects' preference and personal attitude toward the indoor design [10,12,15,16]. ...
Virtual Reality application in holistic investigations for energy and cost-saving building design, aimed at humans’ well-being and performance, is still emerging and needs validation.
In this study, tests in real and virtual scenarios of an office room were performed, investigating the impact of three walls colours (red, white, blue) and two indoor air temperatures (17-22°C) on 23 participants’ work productivity (through a proofreading task) and thermal and visual sensations (through surveys). The first goal was the comparison of the results obtained in the real and virtual settings; the second one the assessment of the effect of walls’ colour and temperature levels on the mentioned variables in each environment. Statistical analyses were then performed “between groups” (Wilcoxon and t-tests, among datasets of the two environments) and “within groups” (ANOVA and Scheirer test, within each environment).
The study revealed no statistically significant variations in productivity and sensation votes, thus supporting the suitability of VR as a proper research technology in this domain. The study also demonstrated no statistically significant effects of colour and temperature on productivity and comfort results within the tested settings. Future investigations should involve a wider range of temperatures and colours and address a wider subjects’ sample.
... Fibres comprised 90% of the total number of particles collected by the funnel and beaker samplers (Fig. 2) and were mostly clear, black, blue and red. Incidentally, these are the most popular colours used in clothing (Bakker et al., 2015); however, numerous other sources of fibres exist such as synthetic carpets and other soft furnishings. Fibres were also the dominant morphotype collected in deposition studies in Paris, France (Dris et al., 2016); Dongguan city, China (Cai et al., 2017); and the US conservation areas (Brahney et al., 2020). ...
Airborne microplastics have been identified throughout the Northern Hemisphere in several studies. Synthesising measurements from multiple studies to derive a global distribution of airborne microplastics is difficult because no standard sampling protocol currently exists. Furthermore, measurements from the Southern Hemisphere are largely absent. We undertook a pilot study to test four different deposition samplers and their efficacy in collecting microplastics: a bottle with a funnel attached, an open beaker, a petri dish covered in double-sided adhesive tape and an automatic wet deposition collector. The four samplers were deployed to a suburban site in Christchurch, New Zealand, for four 6-day sampling periods. It was originally hypothesised that the funnel would improve sample retention by limiting resuspension; however, the open beaker was found to be similarly effective. We were unable to assess the effectiveness of the automatic wet deposition collector robustly due to low rainfall during the sampling periods. The adhesive tape sampler proved impractical. Particles collected from all samplers were inspected and classified as microplastics according to a visual screening criteria. Fibres, films, fragments and beads were identified, with fibres being the dominant morphotype (90%); however, only 10% of suspected microplastics were confirmed as plastic following μFTIR spectroscopy. Overall, we recommend the use of a funnel sampler or open beaker for future deposition studies. This is the first study of airborne microplastics in New Zealand and adds to a growing body of evidence as to the widespread nature of microplastics in the atmosphere.
... Among the cool colors, both genders preferred green, followed by blue and purple, although the females preferred purple over blue for the bedroom. This slight difference in female's preference for bedroom colors is consistent with other studies that found gender differences in color preferences for bedrooms and work areas, but not for other rooms (Bakker et al., 2015). In our study, for both warm and cool hues, the preference for a color increases when it approaches the center of the visible spectrum (yellow and green hues), and vice versa (purple or red). ...
This study explores the color preferences of elderly residents of nursing homes based on the expected activities for different rooms, activity rooms, and bedrooms and compares the results with the arousal level induced by each color. Two experiments were conducted, one with elderly people living in nursing homes in the Valencian Community, and the other in a laboratory with virtual reality and physiological markers (i.e., heart rate variability). Individuals assessed six colors in two groups of warm and cool. Results demonstrate that preferences for warm and cool colors depend on the room type. For the activity room, warm colors were preferred over the cool colors by both genders, fitting the higher arousal levels induced by warm versus cool colors. For the bedrooms, cool colors were preferred by both genders, fitting the lower arousal levels induced by cool colors in females and the other models that suggest a U-shaped relation between the arousal level and the visible spectra of colors. Therefore, the color preferences for interior spaces in nursing homes depend on the room type and are related to the arousal level for the expected activity in them.
... The colour can be a good means of sharing and presenting of information to our surroundings on the base of the context in connection with subjective processing, experience and meanings, those are attributed to the colour in each cultural and historical environment. In this respect there is lot of researches (Eysenck 1941;Bakker, van der Voordt et al. 2015, Hanafi and Sanad 2015, Lange and Rentfrow 2007, Schaie 1966, Kaya and Epps 2004 dealing with the colour preference and personality characteristics. To what extent is the process of colour meaning attributing connected to personality, and to what depth the preferred colour and its meanings reflect the characteristics of a team role or personality itself, is a matter that would be worth exploring. ...
The value of Extracurricular activities (ECA) is underestimated in the field of Higher and Secondary Education of Uzbekistan. Present work is revealing hidden potential of ECA to advance students capacity. Using unique data collected on the basis of in-depth interviews with the administration of the first international university in Uzbekistan with British accreditation , the authors tried to expand the scope of preliminary studies of the relationship of extracurricular activities with academic achievement, development of skills and the role of parents in shaping interest in extracurricular activities of students. The results demonstrate: (a) the impact of extracurricular activities on academic performance and skills development; (b) the effectiveness of the parental approach, based on a personal experience; (c) the importance of public and domestic works (unstructured extracurricular activities) in the development of the individual.
... The colour can be a good means of sharing and presenting of information to our surroundings on the base of the context in connection with subjective processing, experience and meanings, those are attributed to the colour in each cultural and historical environment. In this respect there is lot of researches (Eysenck 1941;Bakker, van der Voordt et al. 2015, Hanafi and Sanad 2015, Lange and Rentfrow 2007, Schaie 1966, Kaya and Epps 2004 dealing with the colour preference and personality characteristics. To what extent is the process of colour meaning attributing connected to personality, and to what depth the preferred colour and its meanings reflect the characteristics of a team role or personality itself, is a matter that would be worth exploring. ...
The presented paper discusses the colour and the possibilities of its perception as a reflection of the behavioural preference in the project team. Colour is examined as a mean of expressing the personality preference and the associated characteristics. The aim is to compare the preference of a team role defined by Belbin (2003), (2004) with colour preference in the context of teamwork in the project team, to try to find the answer to the question of whether the preference of a specific colour reflects the preference of a team role. The paper contains an analysis of the data obtained from a detailed questionnaire survey (N = 69) carried out in two successive steps, followed by a synthesis of the findings to verify the hypothesis H: The preference level of a team role differs from the preference of a particular colour.
... Black dye and black textiles are difficult to produce, however becoming the most popular color for garments (Bakker et al. 2013). Modern quality and vibrance of black textiles has been achieved by continual composition iterations and dyeing methods over thousands of years. ...
The provocation of black garments and textiles becoming illegal considers active measures for environmental impact through effluent and aquatic hypoxia prevention. Previous bans on toxic dye chemicals used in the garment industry have had challenges in enforcement. Intelligent consumer behavior, environmental responsibility and identity are considerable factors in banning the color black from garments parallel to its strong cultural importance. Traditional mechanisms of further research and policy changes for synthetic dyes and effluents have reduced effects, therefore non-traditional approaches may provide rapid climate impact. A global ban on black textile dyes and black textiles is a provocation to consider active measures for the reduction of water effluent toxicity directly impacting climate change from textile and garment manufacturing and consumption. Black in garment use is deeply ingrained in human history and society, cutting illusions across bodies, creating mystery and modesty, and becoming a fashion essential. For centuries, societies have used black garments for grief, religious dress, uniform, and socializing, making it the most common color preference for clothing (Bakker et al. 2013). Modern controversy and popularity surrounding black has been fueled by the discovery of, ‘the blackest black’ pigment, “Vantablack,” being exclusively licensed to artist Anish Kapoor (Rogers 2017). Natural and chemical mixtures for black dyes have been historically complex, and continue to be protected as textile dye trade secrets. Historical beginnings of black dye, note it is one of the most difficult colors to create and reproduce in the textile dyeing process (Berthollet and Berthollet 1841). The compositions involved may lead to black contributing to a larger environmental impact among textile dye colors. Generation Y and generation Z consumers desire more transparency and less environmental impact in the manufacturing of garments (McKinsey & Company Aug. 2016). Global policy changes or consumer grassroots campaigns banning black could lead to a reduction in the chemicals and effluents that create the demanded vibrant black garments and clean up hypoxic waterways. Positive consequences from a ban on black garments include a second hand black garment market, shifts in color trends to lighter natural palettes, and furthering intelligent consumer knowledge of textile effluents. Coco Chanel proclaimed after her design of the universal and influential little black dress (LBD) in 1926, "I imposed black; it's still going strong today, for black wipes out everything else around," (Picardie. 2010).
The goal of this study was to investigate whether Western females with art education have different color preferences compared to those without such education. Forty-six physical samples from the Natural Color System were used in the experiments. Fifty participants without art education, half females, and 45 females with university-level art education carried out the experiment. They viewed each colored sample isolated, in random order, and rated how much they liked or disliked the color using a scale from to . For participants without art education, the results followed the typical preference pattern: a higher preference for blue and a lower preference for dark yellow, with expected variations based on sex. Compared to females without art education, those with art education rated the samples much more evenly across hues and lightness levels, with less tendency to overrate samples in the red–purple hue range. Overall, these findings imply that, at least for Western females, art education is associated with distinct and more uniform color preferences.
The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted human psychological and emotional states, influencing behaviors, including color preferences. This study aimed to explore how the pandemic affected people’s color preferences and emotional responses, shedding light on the broader implications for psychological well-being. A total of 231 participants were divided into two groups based on the depth to which they were affected by the pandemic, considering factors such as personality, family, friends, work/lessons, relationships, and consumption. The findings revealed four key results: (1) participants’ preference for cooler colors such as blue and green increased, reflecting a need for calmness and stability during heightened stress, while their preference for warm colors decreased. (2) Personal consumption was identified as the most severely impacted area. (3) The pandemic reduced people’s overall preference for warm colors. (4) The pandemic triggered strong negative and contradictory emotions. These results highlight the significant shift towards cooler colors, which are associated with calmness, and suggest important applications in design, marketing, and mental health initiatives. Understanding the psychological effects of the pandemic on color preferences provides valuable insights across multiple fields and emphasizes the importance of adapting to the reshaped aspects of human behavior in the face of future challenges.
INTRODUCTION: One of the most important factors affecting visual performance during vision aided by night vision goggles (NVGs) is image quality, which depends mainly on the image-intensifier technology used. Although NVGs with green image color (P43 phosphor) are only accepted in military aviation, white image (P45 phosphor) seems to be equally well-regarded by aviators. The aim of our study was to determine if the experience of using NVGs with the green screen affects image preference for that color, and if the screen color preference is related to luminance level.
METHODS: Subjects (127 military pilots, 26–56 yr, M = 37.2; 62 pilots with flight experience with NVG use) were asked to observe a model terrain board at two different luminance levels (corresponding roughly to ambient conditions during starlight and one-half moonlight) while using two types of NVGs (green P43 and white P45 phosphor screens). The pilots were asked to answer a questionnaire about their preference for NVG display color.
RESULTS: The findings showed a significant difference between screen color preference and pilots’ experience with the green-phosphor-based NVGs (43.5% vs. 23.1% for white screens). However, there was no relationship between screen color preference and luminance level.
DISCUSSION: Previous NVG experience seems to play an important role in shaping a user’s individual preference for a certain phosphor screen color, although green and white phosphor screens both provide satisfactory visibility. Nevertheless, when deciding, it is advisable to experiment with both colors and select the one that suits the user’s preferences and needs.
Lewkowicz R, Dereń-Szumełda J. Phosphor screens color preferences depending on night vision experience and luminance level . Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2024; 95(10):749–757.
In product design, color is the first element that acts on the human visual senses and significantly influences consumer decisions. This study aimed to analyze consumers’ color preferences for products and explore the mathematical patterns of product color design. Firstly, sales data and images of popular thermos cups from Tmall and Jingdong (JD), two prominent e-commerce platforms in China, were obtained through data mining. Subsequently, this research focused on single-color thermos cups with high sales as the research subject, extracting the hue (H), saturation (S), and value (V) for each cup from the product images. Furthermore, a 3D scatter plot of HSV values was generated using Origin Pro, visually representing the consumers’ color preferences. Finally, this study examined the relationships among HSV values of the popular product colors through multiple regression analysis and constructed a mathematical model for HSV. This method enables manufacturers to gain valuable insights into consumer color preferences, facilitating digital color design and enhancing design efficiency and accuracy.
Previous studies have offered multiple explanations for the causality of color preference but no consensus has been reached. In this study, we propose an alternative explanation that the memory colors of familiar objects, especially food colors of humans can induce color preferences. We conducted two experiments. In Experiment 1, the memory color experiment, we asked participants to rate the similarity between presented color samples and memory colors of five familiar fruits and vegetables in Japan; we then calculated the location of the colors in the CIELAB color space that looked most similar to the remembered objects using the bivariate Gaussian function. In Experiment 2, the color preference experiment, color variations were created based on the memory colors obtained from Experiment 1. A different group of participants rated their preference for each color variation, then we applied regression analysis to these ratings. We observed two types of regressions between preference ratings and distance to memory colors: (1) for colors from red to green that represent the food colors for primates, color preference increased when the color was closer to the memory colors of the fruits and vegetables found in Experiment 1; and (2) for blue and purple colors, colors were preferred when they became bluer. We suggest that the evolutionarily acquired mechanism of color preference derives crucial cues from our ecological environment. Therefore, the mechanism produces the same color preference trend among people who grow up in similar environments, for example, environments containing the same fruits.
Personality traits are considered the primary determinants of emotional and behavioral patterns of individuals within the built environment, influencing the experience of architectural space over their cognitive representation. Specifically, the dimension of extraversion within an individual's personality holds considerable predictive value in determining their attitudes toward the environment. Consequently, this study aims to investigate the influence of personality traits on color preference by comparing preferences for context‐free color samples and in‐context spatial colors among individuals exhibiting varying levels of extraversion. It also aims to ascertain the most accurate color‐construct scale for delineating individuals' preferences for in‐context spatial color. The study employed the International Personality Item Pool (IPIP) representation of lexical factor markers for the Big‐Five structure. For the study, 11 colors, referred to as basic color terms, were selected as stimuli. Data on color preference were obtained through a rank order test for 11 context‐free color samples and 11 virtual images of in‐context spatial colors, as well as ratings of in‐context spatial colors based on 14 color‐construct scales. Findings reveal the relationship between extraversion personality trait and color preferences, revealing distinct patterns between context‐free and in‐context color preferences. They also suggest the possibility of divergent preferences for in‐context spatial colors among individuals with varying levels of extraversion, with certain colors eliciting significantly different ratings on color‐construct scales. The study's findings shed light on the importance of personality traits in predicting the relationship between architectural spaces and colors, depending on individuals' personalities, particularly within design disciplines such as interior architecture.
Fashion is a human expression that is constantly changing. One of the prime factors that consistently influences fashion is the change in colour preferences. The role of colour in our everyday lives is very significant. It subconsciously explains a lot about one’s mindset and mood. Analysing the colours by extracting them from the outfit images is a critical study to examine the individual’s/consumer behaviour. Several research works have been carried out on extracting colours from images, but there are no studies that extract colours only from the specific apparel and identify colour patterns geographically. This paper proposes a novel framework for accurately extracting colours from T-shirt images and predicting dominant colours geographically. The proposed method consists of two stages: first, a U-Net deep learning model is adopted to segment the T-shirts from the images. Second, the colours are extracted from the T-shirt segments. The proposed method employs the iMaterialist (Fashion) 2019 data set for semantic segmentation. The proposed framework also includes a mechanism for gathering data and analysing India’s general colour preferences. From the research, it was observed that black and grey are the dominant colour in different regions of India. The proposed method can be adapted to study fashion’s evolving colour preferences.KeywordsColour analysis in T-shirtsConvolutional neural networkEncoder–decoderK-means clusteringSemantic segmentationU-Net model
الملخص: هدفت الدراسة الحالية إلى الكشف عن الفروق في العوامل الخمسة الكبرى للشخصية وفقااً لمتغيري الجنس وتفضيلات اللون لدى طلبة المرحلة الثانوية. لتحقيق هدفت الدراسة استخدمت الباحثة قائمة العوامل الخمسة الكبرى للشخصية والتي أعدها كوستا وماكري( Costa & McCrae, 1992)) ، تكونت عينة الدراسة من( 293) طالباً وطالبة تراوحت أعمارهم بين( 17-16) عاماً من طلبة المرحلة الثانوية في محافظة جنين. أظهرت نتائج الدراسة عدم وجود فروق في سمة العصابية تبعاً لمتغير الجنس، مع وجود وجود فروق تبعاً لمتغير تفضيلات اللون لصالح الطلبة الذين يفضلون اللون(الأصفر والأخضر والرمادي). وتبين أيضاً أنه لا توجد فروق في سمة الانبساطية تبعاً لمتغير الجنس، في حين تبين توجد فروق تبعاً لمتغير تفضيلات اللون لصالح الطلبة الذين يفضلون اللونين الأحمر والأصفر. وقد أشارت الدراسة أيضاً إلى وجود فروق في سمة الانفتاح على الخبرة تبعاً لمتغيري الجنس وتفضيلات اللون لصالح الإناث اللواتي يفضلن اللونين( الأصفر والأحمر). وتبين أيضا عدم وجود فروق في سمة المقبولية تبعأ لمتغير الجنس، مع وجود فروق تبعأ لمتغير تفضيلات اللون، لصالح الطلبة الذين يفضلون اللونين (البني، والأبيض)، وتبين أيضاً أنه لا توجد فروق في سمة يقظة الضمير تبعاً لمتغير الجنس، في حين كانت توجد فروق تبعاً لمتغير تفضيلات اللون لصالح الطلبة الذين يفضلون الألوان (البني، والأحمر، والأصفر).
كلمات مفتاحية: تفضيلات اللون، اللون، ، العوامل الخمسة الكبرى للشخصية.
The current study aims to uncover the differences in the big five personality traits according to the variables of gender and the colour preferences among the students of the secondary education stage. In order to achieve the aim of the study, the researcher used the list of the big five personality traits which was prepared by (Costa & McCrae, 1992). The sample of the study consists of (293) male and female students whose ages ranged between (16-17) years from the students of the secondary education stage in the Jenin Governorate. The results of the study reveale that there are no differences in the neurosis trait according to the variable of gender, with the existence of differences according to the variable of colour preferences in favour of the students who prefer the colour (yellow, green, and grey). It also indicates that there are no differences in the trait of extroversion according to the variable of gender, while it indicates that there are differences according to the variable of colour preferences in favour of the students who prefer both red and yellow colours. The study also points out that there are differences in the trait of openness on the experience according to the two variables of gender and the colour preferences in favour of the female students who prefer the colours (yellow and red). It also indicates that there are no differences in the trait of acceptability according to the variable of gender, with the existence of differences according to the variable of colour preferences in favour of the students who prefer the colours (grey and white). It also indicates that there are no differences in the conscientiousness trait according to the variable of gender, while there are differences according to the variable of colour preferences in favour of the students who prefer the colours (grey, red, and yellow).
In this study, LiDAR-reflective black hollow-structured silica/titania(B-HST) materials are successfully synthesized by employing the NaBH 4 reduction and etching method on silica/titania core/shell(STCS) materials, which also effectively enhance near-infrared(NIR) reflectance. Moreover, core-etched supernatant solutions are collected and recycled for the synthesis of extracted silica(e-SiO 2) process, which successfully applies as filler materials for semiconductor epoxy molding compound(EMC). In detail, B-HST materials, fabricated by the sequential experimental steps of sol-gel, reduction, and sonication-mediated etching method, manifest blackness(L*) of 13.2 similar to black paint and excellent NIR reflectance(31.1%). Consequently, B-HST materials are successfully prepared as LiDAR-reflective black materials. Additionally, core-etched supernatant solution with silanol precursors are employed for synthesis of homogeneous silica filler materials via sol-gel method. As-synthesized silica fillers are incorporated with epoxy resin and carbon black for the preparation of semiconductor EMC. Experimentally synthesized EMC exhibits comparable mechanical-chemical properties to commercial EMC. Conclusively, this study successfully proposes designing procedure and practical experimental method for simultaneously synthesizing the NIR-reflective black materials for self-driving vehicles and EMC materials for semiconductors, which are materials suitable for the industrial 4.0 era, and presented their applicability in future industries.
Research has shown the effect of classroom environment variables on students" learning performance. Color, as a variable in the interior space, has greatly impacts on the audience"s perception of the environment. Using students" color preferences in classes can have a significant effect on the quality of their learning. Numerous factors can affect people"s color preferences, but the question is whether educational background plays a role or not. The present study aims to evaluate the effect of educational background on students" color preferences, so that an appropriate color will be chosen for classroom interiors to improve the quality of learning in educational environments based on the impact of choosing a given color. A total of 618 undergraduate participants majoring in computer sciences and architecture from both genders were evaluated. In a qualitative questionnaire, students were asked to choose their first color preference as the color of the classroom interior, afterward, they should choose their favorite color. SPSS and Pearson's chi-squared test were used to evaluate this test. The results indicated that there is no significant relationship between students" choice of color and their educational background in both majors (computer and architecture). However, the students" color preferences in choosing a color for the classroom's interior in both disciplines are affected by their educational background. This research helps us understand how to use color in learning environments to increase the quality of learning.
Although there are various preferences for color, the city color planning in South Korea is dominated by the government, and the city color preferences of residents are considered to a less extent. Therefore, it results in a question of how to accommodate the diversity of individual preferences. This study took Busan City as an example, using the data collected by the questionnaire survey, first through the chi-square test and nonlinear canonical correlation analysis model to analyze individual attribute factors that distinguish the diversity of city color preferences. It was found that age significantly impacted city color preference, followed by occupation, residential type, educational background, residential location, sex, and monthly income. Regarding the three elements of color, the most significant differences in city color preference were chroma and hue, with slight differences in value preference. Finally, the results were compared with city color guideline to identify the potential conflicts. The findings can provide some recommendations for bottom-up city color planning, and be applied in architectural design and urban regeneration.
Product packaging has a great influence on customers’ decision-making and shapes purchase intentions. The graphic message is the crucial component of this impact. Digital presentations of goods are ubiquitous, therefore understanding how graphical features influence customer decisions is of enormous theoretical and practical importance. Despite the interest, the role of specific factors and their combinations is still unclear, especially if medium-involvement products are concerned. Since only a few studies have considered this context, this research examines how eight variants of a digital presentation of cordless kettle packaging influence purchase willingness, which was derived from pairwise comparisons using eigenvectors. The experimental conditions differed in three factors: the existence of a product graphical context, a brief or extended product description, and white or black packaging background color. Results of analyses of variance and conjoint analyses revealed a significant role of all examined effects, with the background color being the least influential. The best-rated designs included graphical context and extended textual information. There were also some meaningful gender-related differences revealed by conjoint analyses. The black background color was much more important for females than males. The outcomes broaden our knowledge on people’s perception of packaging design graphical factors, and their impact on purchase decisions.
The colours in interior design traditionally represent theoretical colour schemes, theories and meanings that translate into experience, materials and surfaces. This paper is part of a larger research on colour psychology and meaning based on cultural preferences of Middle Eastern tourists who are visiting Malaysia. The purpose is for guiding the design of an appropriate environment for them in smart cities. This paper reports on the first part of the survey research methodology covering colour preferences of the sample population of 419 respondents. This study had reviewed literature on colour design psychology, colour of interior design and colour design environment before using a survey research methodology to determine the expected psychological effects of colours in interior design spaces among Middle Eastern tourists who were visiting Malaysia. Images of four interior colour palettes were shown to Middle Eastern tourists at random after which they would complete a questionnaire. The study found that the most preferred colour palette for Middle Eastern tourists has low value contrast (4.5/5.4), and medium chroma contrast (10.3/10.1). In comparison with selected cultures, these Middle Eastern colour characteristics are similar to the Americans, while they differ much from English, Japanese and Korean cultures. Besides guiding interior designers from different cultures to design the built environment for other cultures, this study is significant in supporting the development of tourism in smart cities. The results will also help hotel owners and operators in different cultural contexts for making affordable changes in their hospitality facilities due to influx of seasonal tourism activities. Results of this study are significant to guide interior designers and architects in designing culture-based living environment in smart cities.KeywordsBuilt environment informaticsColour psychologyInterior designColour cultural effectsMiddle Eastern touristsHospitality facilities
El color es significativo en la percepción de las personas, ya que con base en ella se pueden tomar decisiones referentes a la aceptación de productos, alimentos, ambientes, emociones, entre múltiples factores. El objetivo de la presente investigación es caracterizar la aceptación de los colores por parte de estudiantes universitarios de la ciudad de Medellín, Colombia, con el fin de ser referente en múltiples aplicaciones cotidianas. Para ello, se utilizó análisis factorial de correspondencia múltiple, análisis del factor y distribución de frecuencias, la información se recopiló mediante muestreo no aleatorio por medio de una encuesta en la escala de Likert. Como resultado destacado se detectó diferencia significativa (p<0,05) entre los sexos referentes a los colores: amarillo, negro, morado y rosado, el color más preferido fue el negro y el de menor aceptación por parte de los indagados fue el color café. Se concluye que el color rojo es asociado con la sangre, el amarillo con el astro sol, el azul con el cielo, el blanco con la paz, el negro con la elegancia y el verde con la naturaleza.
This study used computer software to design building models with selected colour parameters based on a two-colour pattern combination, which was then presented on a standard computer screen. Further, the two-colour combination pattern was adopted to prepare building simulation pictures with 153 colour combinations. A total of six hues were extracted based on the Natural Colour System, and there were also 18 colour samples with different lightness and saturation degrees. The results of the study found that hue difference, lightness difference, chroma difference, and total colour difference have a significant effect on harmony. On the other hand, hue difference, chroma difference, and total colour difference have a significant effect on preference. It is worth noting that lightness difference and architectural colour preferences were negatively related. In addition, there was a high correlation between architectural colour harmony and preference.
We study pricing in the art auction market, focusing on the impact of color composition in non-figurative paintings on hammer prices and willingness-to-pay, by means of both field and laboratory data. Our field data, consisting of art auction prices, reveal a color hierarchy reflected in hammer prices: a one standard deviation increase in the percentage of blue (red) hue triggers a premium of 10.63% (4.20%). We conducted laboratory experiments in the US, China, and Europe, and elicited participants’ willingness-to-pay and measured emotions. We find that blue and red paintings command a premium: blue (red) paintings generate 18.57% (17.28%) higher bids. Color influences prices through the channel of emotional pleasure rather than arousal. Our results are consistent across all three cultures and independent of individual traits such as gender, risk aversion, education and cultural background.
The research on citizens' color preference is an important prerequisite for the scientific formulation of urban color planning. Color preferences are normally identified over the Internet or through questionnaire surveys and adjective descriptions. But the analysis has its limitations due to the uncertainty of color descriptions. Based on the quantitative analysis of the three attributes of hue, blackness, and chromaticness, this article obtains the inherent law of color preference of citizens, and compares it with the results of color adjective preference done by our research group before, which can supplement the accuracy of adjective description, so as to provide a reference for the color positioning of urban color planning. This article obtains the three attributes of color samples chosen by the public in the form of questionnaires as well as color sample selections. Among which 36 representative sites in Shanghai were selected according to the six types of land use. Adopting a more detailed method of dividing nine color series, viz. yellow (Y), red‐yellow (YR), red (R), red‐blue (RB), blue (B), blue‐green (BG), green (G), green‐yellow (GY), and the neutrals (WS). Moreover, chi‐square test and multiple logistic regression model were used to analyze the color preference factors and explore the relationship between citizen attributes and the three attributes of color sample selection. Research findings are as follows: (a) The citizens' favorite colors of urban architecture center round red, high whiteness, and mid‐low chromaticness. (b) The main factors that influence citizens' hue preference include gender, age, and monthly income; the main factors that influence citizens' blackness preference include: questionnaire distribution points, the frequency of coming to Shanghai, and whether to go abroad; gender and age are the main factors that affect citizens' chromaticness preference. (c) Compared with the previous studies on adjective selection among citizens, it is found that the effect of gender, age, monthly income, and educational background on color preference is similar; differences are in the occupational types, frequency of coming to Shanghai, and whether travels abroad.
Due to the growing trend of social manufacturing, product design has focused on meeting the emotional needs of users. As a product attribute, color plays an important role in meeting these needs. Therefore, product color emotional design has attracted the attention of researchers. However, a user's perception of the emotional image of product color is highly complex, and it is difficult to define this perception accurately. To this end, based on the theoretical framework of Kansei engineering, this study proposes a product color emotional design method based on a convolutional neural network and a search neural network. First, we implement a semantic differential experiment to ascertain the user's color image. Then we use a convolutional neural network to establish a complex association model between the product color and the user's emotional imagery. Based on this model, the search neural network is used to search and generate the product color design scheme that meets the target image. Finally, a product color design system applicable to practical design problems is developed. An example of the design of a home service robot demonstrates that the proposed method and system provides accurate product color design solutions that meet the needs of the user's emotional image and can be used to develop practical large‐scale applications of product color emotional design theory and methods.
Chapter 1: Introduction
The modern-day office depends upon human interaction - and more importantly - engagement. Communication technology might allow us to work from anywhere, but face-to-face interaction still plays a vital part in organisations. Presented with so many options about where we work, how do we make the office the place of choice?
Discussions about ‘relationship chemistry’ bombard us daily in popular media. Relationship chemistry describes a bundle of emotions that two people get when they have a special connection. It is the impulse that makes you feel "I would like to see this person again". How often do office environments give us the same feeling - that we are able to ‘click’ with it? Can designers and facilities managers play some role in creating this elusive chemistry? This book explores the untapped potential of workspaces that we occupy: spaces in which we spend an increasing proportion of our waking day.
Good chemistry isn't just about person-to-person relationships between two people. The growing importance of collaborative working has redoubled our attempts to understand exactly what makes teams tick. Group interaction is only possible if the chemistry is right. One leading organisation Deloitte has developed its own business team entitled Business Chemistry™ with the express intent of improving the art of relationships. And when it comes to solitary undisturbed working environments, the chemistry between the office worker and their environment becomes pivotal. The emergence of 'deep working' (Newport, 2016) in people's work routine necessitates a very different workspace. How do we get the chemistry right and meet these very different workspace needs?
Some of the characteristics of good chemistry in a relationship include non-judgment, mystery, attraction, mutual trust, and effortless communication. How often do we encounter this type of relationship in our work environment? Wouldn't it be special if the office environment itself encouraged a sense of mystery, attraction, mutual trust and effortless communication? Interior lighting, space planning, user control, colour schemes and thermal comfort are just some of the design considerations that have been shown to influence individual and group behaviour. More often than not, studies focus on the 'cognitive' and 'behavioural' interaction between office workers and their environment. But what about emotion (and the related concepts of affect or feeling)? A growing number of organisations now recognise just how much they have neglected the 'A' in the 'ABC' of psychology (affect, behaviour and cognition). In a world where loyalty and belonging have become a rare commodity, organisations are reaching out for ways to create a 'trust-based' culture. Millennials, unlike their predecessors, have grown up in an era where the ‘contract’ is king. They have become accustomed to fixed-length contracts and are more inclined to switch between employers. The office environment has become one of the few ways to attract and retain this talent.
Leveraging the power of emotion
So, what exactly is an 'emotionally intelligent' workspace? In some ways it runs counter to the idea of an 'intelligent building'. Whilst the intelligent building attempts to leverage the power of technology the 'emotionally intelligent' building attempts to leverage the power of human emotion. In the business world, personal intelligence is no longer seen as the main indicator of job performance. A much better predictor appears to be 'emotional intelligence'.
"Emotional intelligence can be defined as the ability to monitor one's own and other people's emotions, to discriminate between different emotions and label them appropriately, and to use emotional information to guide thinking and behavior" (Colman, 2015).
What part does technology play in all of this? One might imagine a science-fiction scenario whereby the building itself is able to monitor the emotions of its occupants and perhaps use this information to guide its own behaviour. There are indeed examples discussed in the book that illustrate this possibility and the ethical implications. But building technology has not always been supportive of human emotion. Indeed, what has been considered as building intelligence can undermine emotional intelligence. In the pursuit of a seamless network of computer and human interfaces we can end up with an office environment that is entirely process driven. The office as a knowledge exchange is thus measured only in terms of connectedness.
At the other extreme, prestige office buildings can sell themselves in terms of luxury, delight and novelty. Such buildings have proven to be effective at enticing new employees. Rather than using the appeal of new technology, such buildings rely on the experiential aspects of natural light, space and furnishings. Undoubtedly these buildings provide the opportunity to engage with people's emotions. But it seems that this is often arrived at by chance or design hunches. What we wanted to do in the book was to create a framework that used an evidence-based approach to emotional intelligence. In other words, is it possible to design and operate a building that is sensitive to the emotional needs of its occupants? This is not about pandering to whims. It is about supporting the relationship chemistry that is becoming so important to successful organisations.
What do we mean by emotional intelligence?
Intelligence is overrated. That is what the evidence has shown us. Whilst there is much debate over what intelligence actually is, we consistently find that however you measure it, it’s a very poor predictor of personal success and happiness. This applies whether we are looking at our effectiveness in business or in our personal relationships. Yet, there remains an unquestioning reverence for the technology laden ‘intelligent building’ or the ‘smart building’.
In just the same way that we measure personal intelligence using IQ, practitioners have also attempted to assess a buildings IQ. Early formulations of the intelligent building in the 1980s and ‘90s saw increasingly complex but dedicated systems for energy management; lighting control; air-conditioning systems and other self-contained building technologies. Moving into the new millennium we witnessed the complete integration of these systems using complex building management systems. Whilst these advances improved the efficiency of the building, their impact on building users was more subtle. Undoubtedly the intelligent building has enabled office users to engage almost seamlessly with computers and other workers. The advent of universal Wi-Fi in the workplace has allowed entire workforces to become truly mobile. It is now possible to have an uninterrupted transition between the office, home or anywhere else. Furthermore, the ability to track and monitor user behaviour gives us an unprecedented understanding of how a building performs.
Despite these new advances, the modern office faces more challenges than ever. Some commentators have predicted the demise of the office. Office designers and facilities managers have had to do a rethink. What is it that an office provides that a home working environment seems unable to fulfil? Organisations demand workplaces that are more than comfortable desks set up with the latest kit. Offices need to become indispensable parts of an organisation: places of choice where trust and loyalty are nurtured.
Perhaps we have exhausted the idea of the intelligent building? Or perhaps in our pursuit of building intelligence we have neglected something. In this book we argue that the modern workplace needs an entirely different kind of intelligence - emotional intelligence. In just the same way that emotional intelligence (EQ) has proven to be a much better predictor of success at work and in people’s personal life, the equivalent measure could be used to identify emotionally intelligent buildings. We might try to assess a building’s capacity to match the emotional needs of groups and individuals in the workplace. But let’s not get hung up on bean counting. More than anything, we need to ‘frame’ the problem that is in front of us - how to harness human potential?
Is this about technology? Whether you are an architect, facilities manager or indeed any professional involved in leveraging human potential through the built environment, you are in the business of emotional intelligence in all its forms. Emotional intelligence can be thought of as the ability to:
• Recognise, understand and manage our own emotions
• Recognise, understand and influence the emotions of others
We might have some difficulty imagining a building that can recognise and understand its own emotions (unless of course you are a science-fiction enthusiast). However, the second item, ‘being able to understand and influence the emotions of others’ clearly has relevance to workplace design. Isn’t it something that architects and interior designers do all the time? Indeed, lighting, fixtures and fittings, colour schemes and soundscapes are devices that are routinely used to create ambience. But is this emotional intelligence? Is it enough to simply create the desired emotional setting? What level of user control should there be? What about influencing emotions in a shared environment? If a building cannot recognise emotions, can we say that it is capable of influencing our emotions?
Resorting to headphones
Zhi has always adopted an ‘open door’ policy working as a senior partner in her organisation. Recently her organisation has moved to an open plan hot-desking work environment. She can no longer express her open-door policy because they’ve taken the door away and the walls as well. In fact, sometimes she would like to have a ‘closed-door’ policy, but without a door she’s had to resort to using headphones.
Zhi’s predicament is perhaps a rather simplistic illustration of how we use the physical environment to express emotions. Take away a key part of that setting and suddenly we feel rather exposed. Workplace designers have been busy removing fixtures and fittings that we rely on to convey emotions. The ‘non-stick’ environment eradicates ‘emotional potential’. In our attempts to create the intelligent building we thwart the emotionally intelligent building.
Throughout this book we examine the devices and interventions that might be used to enhance emotional intelligence. As much as possible, the analysis is through the ‘emotionally intelligent’ lens. Rather than parading a set of interesting possibilities, the book attempts to develop a framework to capture the emotional response of building users. It presents an ‘emotionally intelligent’ language to enable diverse design teams to share a common understanding.
Can a building really be emotional? To answer this question, let’s first of all look at the modern day office - an example of a complex and layered system. In order to work, it demands the close integration of a physical system, IT infrastructure and people (the facilities management team). But the physical system is itself composed of different elements of varying lifecycles. Instead of just bricks and mortar, the contemporary workplace is comprised of ‘shell, services, and sets’. This layered approach identified by Duffy (2013) conveys how the modern office enables technological and organisational change:
"Our basic argument is that there isn't any such thing as a building. A building properly conceived is several layers of longevity of built components" (quoted in Brand, 1995).
Whilst the shell or building structure remains relatively unchanged, changes to building services typically occur every 10 to 15 years as fit-outs respond to the changing demands of clients. Rates of change are even more dramatic when we look at the furniture and fittings (sets) to be found in today’s office. This innermost layer of the office ‘kit of parts’ represents a progressively large constituent, capable of meeting both human and IT demands. It is this soft, fluid layer that can undergo changes almost on a daily basis. This level of orchestration relies on the interventions of people - both users and where necessary the facilities management team. In reality, the modern office is far from being a static monolith: it is a living system. Adaptability is driven by human needs rather than technological needs. It is this capacity to accommodate changing human needs that defines the emotionally intelligent building.
What do we mean by emotions?
Isn’t the modern work environment about rational thought and behaviour? Don’t emotions simply get in the way of rational decision-making? This has remained the long-standing belief of many organisations and management theorists. But a growing number of practitioners now acknowledge the pivotal contribution of emotions in organisations. There is an emerging realisation that the physical environment can be used to manage emotions and improve work outcomes.
If you are a psychologist you’ll often refer to feeling or emotion as an affect. It comes first in the ABC of psychology (affect, behaviour, cognition). It’s a psycho-physiological construct - Put another way, it hits you in the heart as well as the mind. It’s not just about feelings - we can actually measure responses. It affects our peripheral physiology (e.g. release of the stress hormone cortisol and heart rate); our actions (e.g. facial expressions and our fight or flight response) as well as our cognition (e.g. vigilance) (Bradley & Lang, 1994).
Cognition fits much more easily with our ‘rational’ view of the organisation. It embraces processes such as knowledge acquisition, perception, attention and memory. Notice that we can recognise each of these processes as computing terms. It is perhaps no surprise that cognition is the one human capability that computers and AI are increasingly replacing.
We often use the words temperament, mood and emotion interchangeably. By drawing out the differences between each of these three concepts we can make some important insights. Psychologists generally agree that temperament, mood and emotion can be mapped out on a temporal continuum starting off with short-lived emotions.
From ‘know-how’ to ‘know who’
There’s something afoot that is transforming the office market. Something so fundamental, it is permanently altering how we think about office real estate. It’s a change that will move ‘emotional intelligence’ to the front of the line. The tidal change to which we are referring is ‘social capital’. Just as we had got used to the idea of the ‘knowledge economy’ it seems that organisations now have to go one critical step further. A step that will give them a key advantage.
Organisations are no longer preoccupied with ‘owning’ human capital (including their skills, knowledge and experience). What is much more important to them is having ‘access’ to human talent. Organisations wants to accumulate ‘social capital’ - the elusive threads that connect up human capital. It’s no longer ‘what you know’ but ‘who you know’. This change is also linked to new working practices and the emergence of the freelance worker.
What’s exciting is that the emergence of social capital places office design centre-stage. For intelligent buildings conceived in the first wave of the knowledge economy, providing access to information (including mobile data) was the key challenge. Technology provided all the answers in the form of wireless communication and environmental control. Today it seems that Wi-Fi connectivity and environmental comfort is a seamless part of everyday life. But the modern office has to do more than that. For emerging organisations the office provides the context where information is interpreted, combined and repurposed to produce new products and services. Knowledge is not simply acquired - it is transformed as part of an emerging social network involving partners, customers, suppliers and coworkers. Organisations are no longer in the business of owning human capital: access is what it’s about. The organisations that can design a context for creative and collaborative relations will lead the pack. The physical office rather than the virtual office is where it’s being played out.
Linked to the emergence of social capital is the practice of coworking. Organisations no longer need to exercise ‘command and control’ in the office. Remote working offers many advantages including reduced real estate costs and reduced travel time for employees. But the practice of homeworking leads many people feeling isolated and socially adrift. This has led to the emergence of coworking spaces - “shared spaces where individuals do their own work but in the presence of others with the express purpose of being part of a community”(Garrett, Spreitzer, & Bacevice, 2017, p. 821). It provides a middle ground between the traditional office and working from home. It is commonly associated with unaffiliated freelance creative workers or contract workers. However, a burgeoning trend is evident in public and private sector organisations who recognise that coworking provides a more attractive alternative to homeworking. For the office designer, the practice of designing for a particular organisational ‘culture’ disappears. Instead, the challenge is to design in an environment of coproduction involving an eclectic mix of individuals. Design becomes a cooperative process involving participants rather than users.
Summary
The office landscape is changing rapidly - new working practices are emerging that challenge all our assumptions. Nascent forms of workspace are appearing that have to satisfy a diverse range of individuals. No longer is it sufficient for designers to rely on a brief based on a homogenous organisational culture. We need to understand how design influences individuals in different ways. Diversity becomes both a challenge and an asset. In the next chapter we explore the science of emotions - avoiding faddish psychobabble. This paves the way for Chapter 3 where we examine how emotions interact with motivation - or what makes us ‘tick’in the workplace.
References
Bradley, M. M., & Lang, P. J. (1994). Measuring emotion: The self-assessment manikin and the semantic differential. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 25(1), 49–59. https://doi.org/10.1016/0005-7916(94)90063-9
Brand, S. (1995). How Buildings Learn: What Happens After They’re Built. Retrieved from http://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/redirect?tag=citeulike09-20&path=ASIN/0140139966
Colman, A. M. (2015). A Dictionary of Psychology (Fourth Edition). In Oxford Quick Reference (Fourth Edition). Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press.
Duffy, F. (2013). The Office. Office Planning, (87), 44–46.
Garrett, L. E., Spreitzer, G. M., & Bacevice, P. A. (2017). Co-constructing a Sense of Community at Work: The Emergence of Community in Coworking Spaces. Organization Studies, 38(6), 821–842. https://doi.org/10.1177/0170840616685354
Newport, C. (2016). Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World. Hachette UK.
Because of the improvement in health conditions and quality of life, people live longer and the world population is getting older. Aging process; it causes physical degenerations such as general physical condition, agility, impaired vision, hearing loss, memory ability and sense of direction. Visual functions
are gradually reduced, and the quality of vision decreases due to changes in the eye, retina and the visual nervous system. There are various age-related problems related to vision. Although it is well known how colours are perceived, recognized and preferred in young and middle-aged, there is a lack of
systematic observation about the elderly. In recent years, despite the increase in attention and attention to the issue of old age, the colour perception, cognition and preferences of the elderly people have not been adequately addressed. Determining the colour perception provides better planning of the colour
scheme of the living environments of the elderly people, home, institution, hospital etc. Knowing the perceptions and preferences of elderly individuals can provide positive effects in improving the physical environment, providing direction and improving their well-being and quality of life. Difficult to see thin
shades as they age, soft colours are not perceived well, the contrast between colours is less noticeable; it can cause accidents by making it difficult to assess depth perception and distances. Colour is also an important factor in the perception of the aesthetics of an environment. When used carefully and skilfully,
it can positively affect the mood and behaviour of the elderly, and can cause a wide range of psychological and emotional reactions. In this review, the effects of colour perception of the elderly people and the effects of colour applications on improving the life and quality of life of the older adults will be examined.
144 subjects ranked 9 colour samples in order of appropriateness for the walls of a simulated domestic interior furnished in one of 3 styles. Inter-subject agreement varied as a function of sex and marital status, with indications of an interaction between these variables. No age-related effects were observed. The results are interpreted in terms of a categorization model.
10 males and 6 females ranked 9 color samples in order of appropriateness for the walls of a simulated building interior. Half the subjects were informed that the neutral simulation represented a living room, and the other 8 that it was a bedroom. The results supported the hypothesis that the judged appropriateness of color varies with room function.
The article presents a study on colour appearance in natural daylight from different compass directions in Sweden. The intention of the study was to forecast how certain colours in the red-green sector would appear in a specifi c room, to help architects and designers in achieving required results from colour schemes. The problem was to fi nd trends between inherent colour and identity colour in rooms facing different directions and illuminated by different kinds of natural light. An empirical study of dominantly reddish and greenish colours was conducted using full-scale rooms facing towards and away from the sun. Identity colours were described using fi ve comparative methods. Results were compared with a previous study in environmental colour design concerned with yellowish and bluish colours. The study shows a regular pattern in shift of hue and nuance, from inherent colour to identity colour. In general, room identity colours were more chromatic and less whitish than inherent colours. In the room facing towards the sun all identity colours increased in chromaticness, particularly yellowish colours while reddish colours showed the least increase. Colours with a yellowish attribute shifted towards elementary yellow. In the room facing away from the sun a hue shift towards bluish-red was observed, and all colours increased in chromaticness, except yellowish colours.
This research discusses the validity of applying questionnaires in colour research in real-life settings.In the literature conclusions concerning colour influences on human performance and well-being are often conflicting. This can be caused by the artificial setting of the test process. Applying questionnaires could also be a cause. To avoid the disadvantages of an artificial setting, a colour research process was organised in a real-life setting. In order to get a better understanding of the validity and possible pitfalls in using questionnaires, the responses to the questionnaires were analysed and compared with findings from observations of respondents’ behaviour and additional interviews with the respondents. Discrepancies were found indicating weaknesses of applying questionnaires in colour research. The findings suggest that questionnaires alone are not a fully appropriate tool to establish the colour influences.
Dissertation from Royal Institute of Technology, can be freely downloaded from http://kth.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:8790/FULLTEXT01
Abstract:
Architects and others choosing facade colours using colour samples face difficulties which previous research has not addressed. This work aims to aid such colour design by exploring three main questions:
1. Is it possible to survey and map out what colours people perceive on facades observed under different conditions? If so, what methods can be used and it is possible to obtain results of wider application?
2. How does the perceived colour of a facade vary with changing observation conditions? What is the impact of factors such as light conditions, viewing distance and surrounding colours?
3. How does the perceived colour of the house, in different situations, differ from the colour corresponding to the specification of the sample used for selection? Are there any recurring tendencies that can be
presented in a practically useful way?
The work was based on about 3600 observations of painted timber and rendered facades, made by both experienced colour researchers and “naïve” school students, with various daylighting conditions, viewing
distances and seasons. Colour specifications and discussions on colour attributes were made within the conceptual framework of the Natural Colour System (NCS). Inherent colour was measured by comparison
with colour samples placed directly on the facade surface. Six methods for determination of perceived colour were developed and evaluated, along with a method for comparison of perceived and inherent colour. A combination of all gave the most reliable results.
Results showed some recurring tendencies for perceived colour to vary with viewing conditions, but the variations were always smaller than the difference between perceived and inherent colour. Consistent
variation patterns for the difference between inherent and perceived colour were found for both hue and nuance. Most obvious was that perceived colour always had less blackness than inherent colour.
Possible explanations included differences between the outdoor viewing situation and the standard situation where inherent colour is defined, and the observer’s acquired sense of what colours “belong”
outdoors. A fuller explanation would require further studies such as of colour perception in different light situations, and of three dimensional context effects. Results have immediate applicability however; suitably
illustrated and published, the variation patterns found could be of direct practical use in exterior colour design.
This paper presents an investigation of Beijing residents concerning their apartment interior color preference using an IGA interior design system. The investigation tested typical living room interiors consisting of five factors, the ceiling, walls, floor, interior door and sofa, and the participants were instructed to find ideal color combinations for the five factors using the IGA system. Through statistical analysis of the design results of 231 participants, it was found that they tend to use brighter materials for the walls and floor in darker interiors. It was also found that their age, gender and family income level has an influence on their preference concerning lightness and saturation of interior color. Through analysis of the evolutionary process of IGA, it is also revealed that the color of the ceiling, walls, floor and door tend to be similar to each other, while the difference of color of the sofa to the other colors tends to be more diverse.
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to establish the influences of the colours red and blue on perceived well being, social cohesion and productivity in complex real life work conditions during regular meetings.
Design/methodology/approach
In total, seven regular government teams held seven regular meetings in red, blue and reference meeting rooms. In literature it is often mentioned that red is a warm and blue a cool colour. To be able to test the warmth and coldness effects the authors have amplified the warm and cold qualities with light colour and colour of the table top desk. The employees were asked to complete questionnaires concerning perceived well being, social cohesion and productivity. In total, 52 subjects completed three questionnaires, at the start, the end and two or three days after the meeting. Data were analysed with SPSS 16.
Findings
The findings did not show any effects of the red and blue environment on perceived well being, social cohesion and productivity. The authors assume the processes in real life work situations are too complex to measure influences.
Research limitations/implications
The research focuses on individual perceptions and did not measure actual well being, social cohesion and productivity.
Practical implications
Practical implications are that statements frequently mentioned in literature concerning influences of red and blue might be not valid in real life meeting settings. New ways of testing the impact of colours should be reconsidered. Because lab situations are too simplified and artificial, the authors suggest testing influences of colour in an isolated setting in relation to art.
Originality/value
The originality of this research concerns testing colour influences in complex real life work settings, such as meetings.
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine the atmospheric elements of color, lighting, layout, style, and furnishings that make up the physical environment of a hotel lobby. Previous research indicates that these atmospheric elements impact overall guest perceptions and impressions.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected using a scenario approach along with photographs of the hotel lobby. Structural equation modeling was used to analysis the data to determine which of the atmospheric elements were more influential in the overall impression of the hotel lobby.
Findings
Three of the atmospheric elements (color, lighting, and style) were found to be significantly related to the overall impression of a hotel lobby. Color was the most significant of these three atmospheric elements.
Research limitations/implications
The focus of this research was the hotel lobby. While this physical environment is fairly important in helping to establish first impressions, there are other physical spaces within a hotel that have a large influence on guest perceptions and impressions. Hotel practitioners need to understand the importance of the atmospheric elements and their influence on overall guest perceptions and impressions.
Originality/value
This research examines atmospherics from a hospitality and lodging perspective. The topic has received limited research interest in the past but it is becoming recognized as an important consideration in future hotel design and construction. This research helps in establishing a foundation on which future research can be built.
Recent research has shown that children use colors systematically in relation to how they feel about certain colors and the figures that they draw. This study explored cultural differences between Finnish and English children's use of color to represent figures with contrasting emotional characters. One hundred and eight children (54 Finnish, 54 English) were divided into two age groups (5–7 years and 7–9 years). All children colored three emotionally characterized drawings and rated their affect towards the 10 colors provided and the three differentially characterized figures. It was found that Finnish and English children differed in their use of color for drawings of neutral and nasty figures. The findings are discussed in terms of the need to explore the role of culture in mediating children's use of color when drawing figures they feel negatively and positively towards.
Claims of universality pervade color preference research. It has been argued that there are universal preferences for some colors over others (e.g., Eysenck, 1941), universal sex differences (e.g., Hurlbert & Ling, 2007), and universal mechanisms or dimensions that govern these preferences (e.g., Palmer & Schloss, 2010). However, there have been surprisingly few cross-cultural investigations of color preference and none from nonindustrialized societies that are relatively free from the common influence of global consumer culture. Here, we compare the color preferences of British adults to those of Himba adults who belong to a nonindustrialized culture in rural Namibia. British and Himba color preferences are found to share few characteristics, and Himba color preferences display none of the so-called "universal" patterns or sex differences. Several significant predictors of color preference are identified, such as cone-contrast between stimulus and background (Hurlbert & Ling, 2007), the valence of color-associated objects (Palmer & Schloss, 2010), and the colorfulness of the color. However, the relationship of these predictors to color preference was strikingly different for the two cultures. No one model of color preference is able to account for both British and Himba color preferences. We suggest that not only do patterns of color preference vary across individuals and groups but the underlying mechanisms and dimensions of color preference vary as well. The findings have implications for broader debate on the extent to which our perception and experience of color is culturally relative or universally constrained. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved).
Because color preference is one of the basic elements of artistic expression, it is hypothesized in this study that sensation seekers, especially high boredom avoiders and high experience seekers, would prefer to create more complex images in terms of using more than 1 color in the experimental session. The 2nd hypothesis was that high sensation seekers would prefer red (as "hot" colors are known to be arousing, stimulating, exciting and attractive, and at the same time irritating) to other colors in comparison with low sensation seekers. Each participant (30 males and 30 females) was asked to paint a human figure (the choice of colors was volitional). As hypothesized, the motivation to seek sensation (measured via Zuckerman's, 1994, sensation seeking questionnaire) was positively correlated with color preference.
A preliminary investigation was undertaken to study the mechanics of the turning process for hardened steels and the mechanism of white-layer formation. Cylindrical turning and facing experiments were conducted to investigate various aspects of the cutting process including the chips generated, the tool inserts and their wear condition, the surfaces produced, and variations in the cutting forces and specific cutting energy. Chip cross sectional areas, obtained by weighing chips and measuring their lengths, were found to be smaller than the cutting cross-sectional areas in most cases.
Previous research has shown that, by the age of 3 to 4 years, children rely not only on perceptual similarity but also on shared category or other underlying structures to draw analogies. The present study extends this work by showing that children as young as 3 years old detect consistent relationships between colours and facial expressions of emotions - two phenomena that share no physical characteristics, violate conventional categories and have no obvious environmental contiguity. Two explanatory hypotheses are put forward: (a) learning by convention, which is explored against the standard of adults' and older children's matching patterns, and (b) reliance upon a common underlying but perceptually unavailable dimension - operationalized in terms of emotion and colour preferences in the context of the present study. Both explanatory approaches are discussed and avenues for future work are suggested.
Taste interactions have long interested psychologists, physiologists, and food scientists because the phenomena are stumbling blocks that must be considered before a functional theory of taste perception can be evolved (Gregson 1968).
Noting the inconsistent research on the relationship between color and personality, the authors present data on one of the possible reasons for the problem. The problem addressed is that color/personality research almost always presents a color patch or patches and draws inferences from the subjects’ choices, ignoring the possibility that color preference is related to the object in question. College students were asked to give their favorite colors for a number of items (e.g., automobile). The results clearly show that color preference is a function of the object described. That is, color preference cannot be asked independently of an object if that color preference is to have interpretive significance.
This study tested the effects of red and blue in a shopping-related context. Red and blue were selected because of their opposite color properties. Prior color research has shown that red is perceived as negative and tense as well as physically arousing. Blue, on the other hand, has been identified as calm, cool, and positive. Two laboratory experiments were conducted. In both experiments, retail environments were simulated using predominately red or blue colors. Both experiments corroborate the differential effects of red and blue that prior research suggested. Specifically, more positive retail outcomes occurred in blue rather than red environments. More simulated purchases, fewer purchase postponements, and a stronger inclination to shop and browse were found in blue retail environments. The second experiment helps to identify a plausible explanation to color effects. The results indicate that the affective perception of color rather than the arousal dimension of color may be responsible for the outcome. The positive effects of blue and the negative perception of red may have influenced the results. © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
In this research, we identify and investigate some of the factors influencing residential color preference. We have taken social environment as a primary focus and the influence of a person's residential, regional, educational, and personal background have been examined. A questionnaire, two drawings (one of a bedroom and another of the exterior of a few houses) and 24 color pencils were prepared. In total, 319 data were gathered from Japanese students living in Japan, Foreign students living in Japan, and Iranian students living in Iran, with 301 applicable data. One of the questions was the respondent's favorite color. The results showed that more than 96.7% have used their favorite colors in the drawings. Blue hues were used most by people living in coastal areas (P < 0.05). Education had a strong correlation with number of color varieties (P < 0.01). Moreover, students who had parents with art backgrounds had used more colors in the drawings rather than the ones with parents with no art background (P < 0.05). Foreigners and Iranians have used more color varieties compared to Japanese (P < 0.05). Ultimately, it was observed that among the case studies (regional, residential, and educational), education had a strong positive correlation with number of color varieties (P < 0.01). © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 2014
Previous research has shown that, by the age of 3 to 4 years, children rely not only on perceptual similarity but also on shared category or other underlying structures to draw analogies. The present study extends this work by showing that children as young as 3 years old detect consistent relationships between colours and facial expressions of emotions – two phenomena that share no physical characteristics, violate conventional categories and have no obvious environmental contiguity. Two explanatory hypotheses are put forward: (a) learning by convention, which is explored against the standard of adults’ and older children’s matching patterns, and (b) reliance upon a common underlying but perceptually unavailable dimension – operationalized in terms of emotion and colour preferences in the context of the present study. Both explanatory approaches are discussed and avenues for future work are suggested.
In this article, we investigate how context influences color preferences by comparing preferences for “contextless” colored squares with preferences for colors of a variety of objects (e.g., walls, couches, and T‐shirts). In experiment 1, we find that hue preferences for contextless squares generalize relatively well to hue preferences for imagined objects, with the substantial differences being in the saturation and lightness dimensions. In experiments 2 and 3, we find that object color preferences are relatively invariant when the objects are (a) imagined to be the color that is presented as a small square, (b) depicted as colored images of objects, and (c) viewed as actual physical objects. In experiment 4, we investigate the possibility that object color preferences are related to the degree to which colors help objects fulfill particular functions or outcomes. We also discuss relations between our results and previous theories of color preference. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 38, 393–411, 2013
Research suggests that color appropriateness differs as a function of object type. Thus, a color may be perceived as appropriate for one product and inappropriate for another product. We argue that perceived appropriateness depends upon the congruity of the affective qualities of a color with those of the product. This assumption was addressed in two studies in which participants assigned the best matching color out of 13 Munsell colors to each of seven car types. Additionally, affective qualities of both colors and car types were measured on semantic differential scales. The first study showed that color appropriateness varied according to car type. As predicted, the affective qualities of the assigned colors tended to be congruent with the affective qualities of the car types. Affective congruity along the potency dimension of the semantic differential was of particular importance in explaining assignments of colors to car types. The second study was a replication of the first study but with a different sample. The results confirmed what we found in the first study. An interesting difference was, however, that activity (not potency) turned out to be the most important dimension of the semantic differential in explaining assignments of colors to car types. Implications for product development and marketing practice are discussed.
The objective of this work was to study the effects of color on the perception of both sweetness and fruit flavor of different fruit (peach, orange, kiwifruit and berries) beverages. Four samples of each fruit beverage were prepared by adding different colorants but maintaining the same composition. Color was measured using a Hunter Lab colorimeter. Samples of each of the different fruits were ranked for color, sweetness and typical fruit flavor by a group of assessors. Color was found to influence sweetness only in orange drinks but it affected intensity of typical flavor in all fruit drinks.
Two studies, one of university students and one of non-students, of the similarities between color preferences as an abstract concept and color preferences for clothing are reported. Using Munsell color standards in a controlled viewing setting, subjects ranked preferences for 10 hues, the color of a favorite garment, and dominant colors in their wardrobe. Chi Square, Kendall Coefficient of Concordance and Friedman Two-way Analysis of Variance by Ranks were used in data analysis. Blue and purple-blue were most preferred hues for any use. Colors of favorite garments and dominant colors in the wardrobe were similar to stated color preferences. Findings support the importance of both biological and social factors influence on color preferences. Knowledge of color preferences is useful for planning colors of consumer products, but color preferences may be product specific. The 15 to 25% of subjects who selected different colors as most preferred for abstract color and clothing color present an obstacle to using clothing colors as indicators of personality traits.
Color data from the Osgood et al. 23-culture semantic differential study of affective meanings reveal cross-cultural similarities in feelings about colors. The concept RED is affectively quite salient. BLACK and GREY are bad, and WHITE, BLUE, and GREEN are good. YELLOW, WHITE, and GREY are weak; RED and BLACK are strong. BLACK and GREY are passive; RED is active. The color component Brightness, as determined by comparing data on WHITE, GREY, and BLACK, is strongly associated with positive Evaluation, but also with negative Potency. Eighty-nine previous studies of color and affect were analyzed. They generally support these findings, and, together with the fact that there are very few exceptions in our data or the literature, lead one to believe that there are strong universal trends in the attribution of affect in the color domain.
Color is an integral part of products, services, packaging, logos, and other collateral and can be an effective means of creating and sustaining brand and corporate images in customers' minds. Through an eight-country study, the authors explore consumers' preferences for different colors and color combinations. The results show cross-cultural patterns of both similarity and dissimilarity in color preferences and color meaning associations. When subjects are asked to match colors for a product logo, some color combinations suggest a consistency in meaning, whereas other combinations suggest colors whose meanings are complementary. The authors discuss implications for managing color to create and sustain brand and corporate images across international markets.
Work carried out in Japan on planning the colour of interior environments is reported. A survey has been made of the colours used in cinema and hotel foyers, hospitals, schools, homes and flats located mainly in Tokyo. The results are analysed and presented as frequency curves for Munsell hue, value and chroma. Preferences are also discussed in terms of Munsell notation and the ISCC-NBS designations. The balance point for each type of room is computed and the type of colour composition is classified. From a subjective appraisal of different colour schemes using slides and models, acceptable colour schemes for the different types of room are given in terms of the balance point and colour composition.
Color has played an important role in human life and culture since the beginnings of recorded history. Here are random notes drawn from widely different sources.
The purposes of this study were to determine (a) if color attributes affect color preferences and (b) if psychological types affect colorpreferencesfor apparel fabrics. Color theory was applied using hue seasonal color categories, value categories, and chroma categories. The experimental research design used a sample of 111 clothing, textile, and design majors to determine color preferences. Results of analysis of variance and Tukey's HSD revealed several significant differences with respect to color preferences. Summer andwinter colors were significantlypreferred more than autumn colors, while spring colors were significantly more preferred than autumn colors. Medium, dark, and light values were significantly different from each other, most preferred in the order listed. Significance was also found for each level of chroma with dull most preferred; then medium, then intense chroma as least preferred. All of the eight psychological types showed significant differences in seasonal color preferences except for introverted thinking types. Extroverted sensing types were found to be the most discriminating across the four season color categories and preferred colors with the least intensity. Extroverted and introverted thinkers did not have significant differences in value color preferences. Introverted feeling and introverted intuitive types did not have significant preferences for chroma. While color is a complex phenomenon, this study suggests that distinctions are part of a person's natural propensities. It also supports the theory that hue seasonal color categories, value, and chroma can be used to elicit variations in human response to color.
Purpose
Research in to how colour can stimulate interest and subsequently increase the appeal power of products. There has been very little or no research in the colour‐impact domain in Malaysia. Gender has also been presented as an important factor of colour penchant and proclivity. Seeks to understand the influence of colour on consumer choice of automobile as well as the effect of gender differences.
Design/methodology/approach
A field survey of Malaysia consumers was conducted to understand these influences. A total of 196 consumers randomly selected from a mall intercept exercise responded to the questionnaire.
Findings
Shows that attitude towards colour, colour attractiveness, normative colour, and colour preferences are significantly associated with product choice. The results also show that gender moderates the impact of colour significance, attitude towards colour, colour attractiveness, and colour preferences on choice.
Research limitations/implications
Limited by the fact that the study was undertaken in one country.
Practical implications
To help marketers exploit gender differences through use of colour.
Originality/value
There has been little research on colour in marketing in the past. This fills a gap.
The present experiment examined the existence of a black clothing stereotype in victims reports concerning sexual harrassment. The black clothing stereotype is concerned with the idea that people who are dressed in black make a dishonest and aggressive impression. Observer characteristics such as gender and the acceptance of sexual harrassment myths were investigated in order to find out whether this stereotype exists in different kind of people or only in subgroups (such as males or people high in sexual harrassment myths acceptance). In the experiment, 59 observers (college students) were exposed to a video-taped account of a victim of sexual harrassment. The victim wore either black or light clothing. The outcomes revealed the existence of the black clothing stereotype. Moreover, this stereotype existed in all groups and not only in subgroups. The practical implications of the findings are discussed.
On the basis of tests in color preference performed on one thousand white subjects the writer presents the following order of color preferences: Blue, green, red, violet, orange, yellow, white. The measures of overlapping indicate that the differences are significant except in the cases of red and green, and violet and orange. In terms of "pull" as derived from a scale which calls the "pulling power" of Yellow unity, the following values are yielded: Yellow, 1; orange and violet, 1.5; red and green, 1.8; blue, 3. On such a scale the values for all the colors are higher for males with the exception of yellow and blue. By fractionating the data according to educational groups it turns out that blue is the only color which increases in value over extended periods of time. All other colors, and especially red, tend to fall off in value in proportion as education progresses. From Psych Bulletin 22:05:00408. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
The materials were seven color discs of the Milton Bradley standard colored papers, red, orange, yellow, green, violet, blue, and white. The children were handed the discs and requested to select the one they liked best, the one they liked next best, and so forth until the color which they liked least had been selected. 1004 Filipino children, differentiated as to tribe, sex, and grade, were the subjects. They ranged from the first grade to the first year in high school. The results show that red was the most preferred color. The other preferences were respectively green, blue, violet, orange, white and yellow. "The Filipinos have a very short color preference scale, which fact indicates some inability to discriminate feelings of difference for many of the colors when compared. That is, their preferences are rather confused." Both sexes placed red first, but the girls valued green more highly than the boys. The effect of education, it seems from the results, is to lower the preference for yellow and to raise that for white, and to lower violet and raise blue. Red always came first, regardless of education. If red is disregarded, there is a decided change in preference with education. The authors conclude that "Filipinos are similar to the American Indian in their preferences for red regardless of education. The young Filipinos are rather similar to the young whites as well as to the young of other races with respect especially to red and white." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
The object of the investigation was to determine (1) whether certain colors are
per se and generally pleasing, (2) whether color preference varies with increase in age and intellectual development, (3) whether the colors preferred during the adolescent period differ from those preferred during the pre-adolescent period, (4) whether social status is a determining factor in the preference for colors, (5) whether the two sexes show any difference in their esthetic evaluation of color.Six spectral colors were used and 2,500 subjects were tested. The colors were arranged on a chart and the subjects given the following instructions: "Here are six different colors. Each color has a number. White on your paper the number of the color you like best." The subjects tested were from seven elementary schools, high school and college classes. Among the conclusions drawn from the data are the following: (1) at every age from five to fifteen blue was most frequently preferred. (2) There was a distinct rise in the preference values of colors of short wave length and a corresponding decline in the values of colors of long wave length, as the children advanced in age and grade. (3) No striking differences between the color preferences of the sexes was observed. From Psych Bulletin 20:11:01019. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Investigated whether advertisers use color in magazine advertising to appeal to certain gender- and race-specific audiences. Four magazines were selected to represent Black, White, male, and female audiences, and 931 advertisements were analyzed. Differences were found in the use of color in ads from Black- and White-oriented magazines. However, color use was not always consistent with racial color preferences (R. Pettersson, 1982). Advertisers in gender-oriented magazines relied more heavily on product color to establish color dominance than on the use of colors that may have had greater appeal to a particular sex. Advertisers do not appear to be using color to improve advertisng response among target customers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)