The psychological effect of colour

Colour is a many splendored thing, says Dr Asma Naheed

Imagine a world without colour. We take the lush greens, soothing blues and bold reds that make up our world for granted, but colours have a great impact on human nature and are instrumental in shaping our lives and personalities. A dedicated study of the psychology of colour looks at how it affects emotions, behaviour and personalities, and uses this knowledge to improve our daily lives, relationships and mental wellbeing.

Colours impact on our emotions and behaviour. Warm colours such as red, yellow and orange tend to evoke excitement, passion and energy. Cooler colours such as blue and green tend to have a calming effect, evoking feelings of peace, tranquillity, and relaxation.

Even the shade is significant. Bright colours make us feel happy and positive. Dull colours have the opposite effect; a feeling of ‘don’t look over here’. Our language is peppered with terms based on colour: someone is ‘washed out’ when they are tired; we wear ‘rose-tinted glasses’ to see through an optimistic lens. Colours change how people respond to each other: consider the different impression you would have of someone dressed in pink, as opposed to grey. Colours speak long before we do.

Colours have long been used symbolically: the white of a wedding dress indicating purity, the purple of Advent and Lent symbolising penance, sacrifice and preparation. They enable us to express ourselves and communicate our emotions and thoughts at a glance. They can also be used practically: Queen Elizabeth II would often wear brightly coloured outfits, ensuring the public could spot her in a crowd.

The power of colours to influence our emotions is used to treat people with mood disorders or to help those who need to deepen their selfawareness. Colour therapy is used to treat depression, anxiety and PTSD. It literally changes the way someone sees the world. Therapists believe different colours can harmonise or rebalance the body’s inner vibrations. If nothing else, simply looking at something bright can lift our mood.

This psychology can also be used to influence our behaviour and emotions, whether we realise it or not. The use of red in advertising, restaurants and food packaging is not by chance: red stimulates appetite and increases the heart rate, making us feel hungry and intrigued.

It can also get us hooked on unhealthy habits. Junk food wrappers, phone apps and gambling machines, resplendent in bold bright colours, light up dopamine receptors in our brains before we even touch them. For those battling technology addiction, turning your phone’s display to grayscale: removing colour from the screen can be an effective deterrent. Our brains are wired to look for bright, colourful, exciting things. Draining the colour removes the positive reinforcement and dampens the urge to reach for the phone.

To live life well, we must choose the colours of our lives just as an artist would. Our life is a canvas: it is up to us to choose what colours to use and what kind of picture to paint. We can select colours that reflect our personalities and beliefs, or the way in which we would like to be perceived. Are we to be the confident and outgoing woman in bold, bright colours? Or the cool, calm and collected type in elegant, neutral shades? The choice is yours.

Dr Asma Naheed PhD is an educational psychologist and life coach who specialises in therapeutic and behaviour management

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