1

Natalie Pierce

Scales

T & I Advanced Studies

07 June 2021

Color Psychology

Why do we feel certain emotions when we see different colors? Well, a lot of the

emotions we seem to feel are due to the history behind using colors to heal, known as

Chromatherapy. Many ancient civilizations like the Egyptians and the Greek used color exposure

to heal people. They would choose the color to expose the patient to and make them feel a

certain way, almost like tricking the brain. Blue was chosen to sooth and to calm whereas red

was chosen to improve blood flow in a person. So, due to these ancient civilizations and the way

they used color, we know feel certain emotions towards certain colors.

Based on what I have said so far, every color has its own emotion that is brought out and

its symbolic meaning. From the purest of whites to the darkest of blacks, every color has its own

meaning. So, lets go over some of the meanings and emotions in certain colors.

Red. This color is bright and warm, it stands out. There are actually many different

emotions that surround the color red. Love, romance, aggression, anger, etc. This color is a

power color. It is supposed to make the viewer feel powerful. Red has the longest wavelength of

radiation which makes it so powerful.

Orange. This color is also a bright and warm color. It is a mixture of both yellow and red.

This color is mostly associated with an increase in energy and being more joyful. It is supposed
 2

to be fun and exciting. Orange actually opens communication between people and surprisingly

can increase a person’s appetite, this explains why orange is a popular color for thanksgiving.

Yellow. This is an extremely bright color and is a part of the warm colors. This color has

the most psychological effect on a person than any other color. It is supposed to make you feel

happy, confident and joyful. This is a high energy color that, in some cases, can actually make

the viewer more anxious. This is because of the high energy in this color.

Green. This is the color of nature, because of this, it symbolizes growth. We know that

when we see something that is green, it is growing and alive. Being a part of the color colors, it

has a calming factor about it. Many advertisers and companies will use this color to calm the

viewer.

Blue. This is another color that is found in nature; ocean, rivers, etc. and because of this it

is also seen as a calming color. Blue has many different shades to it which makes the viewer's

emotion change. Brighter and lighter blues are seen as calming whereas darker and duller blues

are seen as upsetting and gloomy.

Purple. Being a cool color makes this color seem calming alsong with green and blue but

purple can also be seen as a power color. This is because it is created with the color red. Purple is

usually seen as a royal color and can be a bold color. The undertones of purple are usually what

help determine the emotion it wants the viewer to feel. More red undertones are going to want

the viewer to feel some kind of power whereas blue undertones are going to bring out more of a

sadness emotion for the viewer.

Black. This is known as the absence of color. It is seen as dark and depressing, but also

powerful and sophisticated. Most formal dinner parties and luxury items, like cars, and black. On
 3

the flip side of this, most images that we see that people describe as “depressing” are usually

black and gray.

White. This is a very simple color when it comes to symbolism. It is seen as pure and

clean. Most weddings are wear the bride will wear white to symbolize that she is a pure woman.

Doctors wear white to show cleanliness. When you see something that is white you

automatically think clean and good.

Now that we know the emotions that certain colors produce to their viewer, there are

ways to use color to a person's advantage. Have you ever wondered why certain logos are the

color that they are? This is no accident. Each of these are decisions made by marketers to bring

out a certain emotion. Let's dive into all of this.

As we have said before, certain colors bring out certain emotions. Those who work as

marketers take this information and apply it to either logos or packaging. A great example of this

is the Starbucks logo. It is a solid green color that is meant to be calming. When you go into a

coffee shop, it is meant to be a calm place where you can drink coffee, study, etc. On the flip side

of this think of the logo for McDonalds. This logo is red and yellow, two bright, bold, warm

colors that are supposed to draw the viewer's attention. So, now when you see red and yellow

together, you automatically think of McDonalds.

As you can see, colors have a variety of different meanings behind them and can draw out certain
emotions when they are seen by a person. This then leads into the marketing aspect of colors and
the fact the marketers use colors to draw out certain emotions. We have seen how two different
companies do this. In conclusion, there is a lot more to think about when it comes to color than
most people may have realized.

Works Cited
 4

Braam, Hailey van. “The Psychological Effects of Colors.” Color Psychology, 6 June 2021,

www.colorpsychology.org/.

Cherry, Kendra. “Can Color Affect Your Mood and Behavior?” Verywell Mind, 28 May 2020,

www.verywellmind.com/color-psychology-2795824.

McCarthy, Meghan. “The Power of Color Psychology and Physiology.” Medium, Medium, 21

July 2020,

medium.com/@mmccar76/the-power-of-color-psychology-and-physiology-960e0b260a87

#:~:text=History of color psychology dates back as early,red exposure for improved blood

flow and circulation.

Greg Oprendek, et al. “Colors & Marketing: The Power of Color Use for Consumers.”

Printify, 17 Sept. 2020,

printify.com/blog/colors-marketing-the-power-of-color-use-for-consumers/.