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Color, Arousal, and Performance-A Comparison of Three Experiments

Küller, Rikard LU ; Mikellides, Byron and Janssens, Jan LU (2009) In Color Research and Application 34(2). p.141-152
Abstract
Three studies of the psychological and physiological effects on people of colored room interiors are described. Experiment 1 compared a colorful and a gray room, whereas in experiments 2 and 3 red and blue rooms were compared. The results indicate that the color of an interior space will have effects on many different levels. The perception of the room itself was affected, and the colors also had an impact on the emotions and physiology of those who staved in the rooms. Strong, especially red. colors and patterns put the brain into a more excited state. sometimes to such an extent as to cause a paradoxical slowing of the heart rate. Introvert persons. as well as those already in a negative mood, became more affected than others, which... (More)
Three studies of the psychological and physiological effects on people of colored room interiors are described. Experiment 1 compared a colorful and a gray room, whereas in experiments 2 and 3 red and blue rooms were compared. The results indicate that the color of an interior space will have effects on many different levels. The perception of the room itself was affected, and the colors also had an impact on the emotions and physiology of those who staved in the rooms. Strong, especially red. colors and patterns put the brain into a more excited state. sometimes to such an extent as to cause a paradoxical slowing of the heart rate. Introvert persons. as well as those already in a negative mood, became more affected than others, which caused severe changes in their performance. The series of experiments described here were among the first to be carried out in full-scale rooms painted or otherwise decorated in various colors. One practical implication is that a moderate use of good color design will serve to improve the overall mood and well-being of people. In future research more emphasis should be placed on color, as just one component in the highly complex real-life situations. (c) 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 34, 141-151 2009; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/col.20476 (Less)
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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
design, performance, interior, emotions, EKG, EEG, creativity, color perception, arousal
in
Color Research and Application
volume
34
issue
2
pages
141 - 152
publisher
John Wiley & Sons Inc.
external identifiers
  • wos:000263530500007
  • scopus:65349098045
ISSN
0361-2317
DOI
10.1002/col.20476
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
The information about affiliations in this record was updated in December 2015. The record was previously connected to the following departments: Environmental Psychology (011036009)
id
e40dbb99-bf7c-4544-9934-6fdf74d205e3 (old id 1372529)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 15:02:33
date last changed
2022-04-14 20:57:26
@article{e40dbb99-bf7c-4544-9934-6fdf74d205e3,
  abstract     = {{Three studies of the psychological and physiological effects on people of colored room interiors are described. Experiment 1 compared a colorful and a gray room, whereas in experiments 2 and 3 red and blue rooms were compared. The results indicate that the color of an interior space will have effects on many different levels. The perception of the room itself was affected, and the colors also had an impact on the emotions and physiology of those who staved in the rooms. Strong, especially red. colors and patterns put the brain into a more excited state. sometimes to such an extent as to cause a paradoxical slowing of the heart rate. Introvert persons. as well as those already in a negative mood, became more affected than others, which caused severe changes in their performance. The series of experiments described here were among the first to be carried out in full-scale rooms painted or otherwise decorated in various colors. One practical implication is that a moderate use of good color design will serve to improve the overall mood and well-being of people. In future research more emphasis should be placed on color, as just one component in the highly complex real-life situations. (c) 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 34, 141-151 2009; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/col.20476}},
  author       = {{Küller, Rikard and Mikellides, Byron and Janssens, Jan}},
  issn         = {{0361-2317}},
  keywords     = {{design; performance; interior; emotions; EKG; EEG; creativity; color perception; arousal}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{141--152}},
  publisher    = {{John Wiley & Sons Inc.}},
  series       = {{Color Research and Application}},
  title        = {{Color, Arousal, and Performance-A Comparison of Three Experiments}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/col.20476}},
  doi          = {{10.1002/col.20476}},
  volume       = {{34}},
  year         = {{2009}},
}