Serendip is an independent site partnering with faculty at multiple colleges and universities around the world. Happy exploring!

Reply to comment

mcrepeau's picture

Effects of color intensity and hue variation on the human psyche

Perhaps some of the psychology behind color and emotion/behavior has to do with the "brightness" (i.e. the vividness of light waves and light waves themselves) of the color in relation to how we perceive gradients of light and how that perception of variations in amounts, intensities of light, etc. affect our behavior in relation to an internal clock. For, example maybe our brains have come to associate darker colors and/or dimmer colors (blues, green, and violets, etc.), colors which often give one the feeling of calm or relaxation, with periods during the day where lesser amounts of light, and therefore, what we consider darker hues of colors prevail, i.e. the particular shades of blues and purples that one sees during Twilight, dusk, etc. prevail. This may work into how our internal clock (sleep v. awake) system works out, where the nervous system has come to associate darker colors with dimmer periods of light and thus with a state in which sleep is conducive. The opposite might be said of bright, vibrant tones in colors such as red, orange, and yellow in which brighter colors may be perceived as indicative of periods of greater light intensity and thus with periods of higher activity and alertness. Of course this has more to do with actual tonality of color, i.e. the intensity and hue of the color and the amount of light available to the eye and not so much with the color itself. Although one may argue that periwinkle and navy blue are, although "blue", are distinct entities in and of themselves and that the two different shade of blues produce different emotional/behavior responses regardless of the lighting condition under which they are viewed. If different shades of a color are affected by what length of light waves are being perceived at the same time (i.e. the combination of light wave types being reflected by an object) and we consider the amount of light available negligible, then, what do these subtle variations and mixtures in light hues and in tones produce as an effect on the human psyche?

 

 

Reply

To prevent automated spam submissions leave this field empty.
1 + 5 =
Solve this simple math problem and enter the result. E.g. for 1+3, enter 4.