Except Tests of Detail –- Science (2009)
In light of the 2007 study, researchers Ravi Mehta and
Rui Zhu wondered whether red had a negative impact on
all cognitive tasks or merely some. Sure enough, a series
of experiments found that red sometimes has a positive
effect during tests; on a proofreading test comparing names
and addresses, for instance, participants who worked at a
computer with a red background did better than those with
a blue one. Mehta and Zhu suspect that on detail-oriented
tasks, red’s association with mistakes might actually heighten
attention.
Negative Words –- Emotion (2009)
While red may benefit sports teams or proofreaders, we tend
to regard the color in a negative light. The terms “in the red,”
“code red,” “red-handed,” and “red tape” come to mind. A
group of psychologists (including Maier) found that the word
red isn’t the only trigger for negativity here--the color itself is,
too. In a series of tests, participants took longer to categorize
words related to success that appeared in red (compared to
green), but took less time to categorize words in red that were
related to failure. Hue, they concluded, “can communicate
information quickly, subtly, and across barriers of language,
age, and even species.”
The Universal Color of Attraction
–- Journal of Experimental Social
Psychology (2013)
Several studies have found that men consider women who are
wearing red more attractive, but until last year that work had
been confined to Western populations. In an attempt to show
universality, Elliot and others tested the influence of red on
attractiveness in the African country of Burkina Faso. Despite
a generally negative connotation of red there--it represents
bad luck, sickness, and death--men found pictures of women
more attractive when bordered by red (compared with blue).
The researchers call this the first evidence that red may carry
an “amorous meaning across cultures.”
Just Not to Potential Employers –Motivation and Emotion (2013)
Stronger Grip –- Emotion (2011)
If red truly indicates a threat or an alarm, one might also
expect it to prompt a physiological response. Andrew J. Elliot
of the University of Rochester, a psychologist and veteran
red researcher, tested out that idea a few years back. He
and a collaborator gave test participants a hand grip, then
showed them the word squeeze--in red for some, and in blue
or gray for others. Those in the red group not only squeezed
harder, they squeezed harder more quickly. “We suspect
that the influence of color on biological and psychological
functioning is actually quite pervasive,” they said.
Be careful the next time you get dressed for a job interview.
Maier, Elliot, and other researchers recently asked test
participants to evaluate job candidates based on appearance.
Those wearing red ties were judged as having less earning
and leadership potential (compared with blue ties) and rated
less likely to be hired (compared with green). The researchers
see their findings as an extension of the negative impact that
red can have during IQ tests--when intelligence and ability
are at stake, they write, “red takes on the meaning of failure
and leads to lower perceptions of competence.”
Eric Jaffe writes about cities, history, and behavioral
science. His latest book is A Curious Madness: An
American Combat Psychiatrist, a Japanese War Crimes
Suspect, and an Unsolved Mystery from World War II
(Scribner, 2014). He lives in New York.