{"id":20703,"date":"2023-07-22T07:51:34","date_gmt":"2023-07-22T12:51:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/?p=20703"},"modified":"2023-09-22T08:05:17","modified_gmt":"2023-09-22T13:05:17","slug":"color-psychology-what-is-it-and-how-does-it-affect-how-you-feel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/color-psychology-what-is-it-and-how-does-it-affect-how-you-feel\/","title":{"rendered":"Color Psychology: What Is It and How Does It Affect How You Feel?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Color is more than what artists use daily. Color also <\/span>affects how we behave and how we feel<\/span><\/a> \u2014 forming the basis of the study of color psychology. Within this field, scientists and psychologists have found all sorts of phenomena related to color, human behavior and emotion.<\/span><\/p>\n

For example, researchers in a 2020 study found that some <\/span>colors are associated with certain emotions universally<\/span><\/a> across the globe. Out of the 4,598 respondents from 30 different countries, 68% associated red with love, 51% associated black with sadness and 52% associated yellow with joy. No matter where you are in the world, colors mean something. More than anything, they\u2019re integral to our mental health.<\/span><\/p>\n

So if you’ve ever wondered why you feel soothed while looking at certain colors and energized looking at others \u2014 you\u2019re not alone. Read on to learn more about the fascinating world of color psychology.<\/span><\/p>\n

History of color psychology<\/span><\/h2>\n

People have long pondered <\/span>the effect of colors on the human mind<\/span><\/a>. Experiments in color psychology can even be traced back to Ancient Egypt. In 1810, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, a German poet and artist, published the <\/span>first book on color psychology<\/span><\/a>. He argued that colors had a psychological effect on people by analyzing different colors and the different emotions he tied to them as an artist.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the 19th century, researchers began to explore how the wavelengths in each color affect our emotions and behavior. For example, F\u00e9r\u00e9 (1887) conducted experiments to <\/span>determine how different colors affected physical and mental disabilities<\/span><\/a>, while Pressey (1921) researched <\/span>how colors can be used as a form of treatment<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Today, color psychology is broadly used. Color can be a therapeutic tool to help manage their emotions and behavior. On the other side of the spectrum, color is also used in marketing and branding strategies to create an emotional connection between customers and products or services.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mental impacts of color psychology<\/span><\/h2>\n

Since color psychology has long been studied, there is plenty of research on the effects color has on our mental health. However, to understand the specifics of these effects, you must also understand the theory of color in general. Colors may be divided based on where they lie on the spectrum of light or <\/span>the electromagnetic spectrum<\/span><\/a>. Typically, most people divide colors between \u201ccool\u201d and \u201cwarm\u201d colors. Cooler colors have fewer wavelengths for people to perceive, while warmer colors have more. The psychological effects behind colors can often be cited back to the perception of these wavelengths.<\/span><\/p>\n

Psychological effects of cool colors<\/span><\/p>\n

Cool colors can have the opposite effect to warm colors as they recede away from the eye. This can create an illusion of a larger, more open space, making them suitable for smaller rooms. <\/span>Cool colors also have a calming and relaxing effect<\/span><\/a>, which is most obvious in the following colors:<\/span><\/p>\n