UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS

FACULTY OF ARTS AND LETTERS

AY 2022 - 2023

University of Santo Tomas

Faculty of Arts and Letters

Department of Interdisciplinary Studies

Behavioral Science Program

EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH PROJECT

PROPONENTS:

Angeles, Jose Alfonso

Manalo, Finella Athea

Peralta, Pauline Marie

SECTION: 2BES1

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I. EXPERIMENT TOPIC/TITLE

The Influence of Colors on the Academic Performance of College Students in

University of Santo Tomas Manila

II. EXPERIMENT PARTICIPANTS/LOCALE

Participants in this study are college students from the University of Santo Tomas Manila,

where the research will be conducted. The total number of respondents is limited to 200,

compromising of 100 female college students, and 100 male college students. The respondents

are all between the ages of 18 to 26 and come from diverse religious, racial, and gender

backgrounds. Students who use colored highlighters and anything that can be affiliated with

colors to aid their academic performance will all be included as respondents for this study.

Students who study using other methods will be excluded, as this research will only assess the

influence of colors on the academic performance of a student.

III. KEYWORDS

● Colour

● Memory

● Learning

● Retention

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IV. EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH DESIGN

The research made use of the Independent Measures Design to analyze the learning needs

of college students in University of Santo Tomas Manila and determine whether the use of

lecture notes will be more effective in the academic retention of an individual. According to

Gustafson and Branch (2007) An instructional design is a systematic process used to produce

consistent and dependable learning and development opportunities.

V. MANIPULATIONS

The influence of colors is the exogenous variable in this study, while academic

performance of students is the endogenous variable. Students' academic performance is a

dependent variable because it varies according to how a student retains a memory under the

influence of colors. Color influence is an independent variable because, aside from its ability to

stand alone, it determines whether or not a student will excel academically.

VI. INSTRUMENT/S

The instrument used to collect data in this study is a rating scale, one of the oldest and

most adaptable evaluation methods. Respondents will be tasked to rate the factors that will

determine how much they are reliant on colors for academic studies and general retention of

memory. A psychometric test will also be used to evaluate an individual's cognitive abilities and

personal characteristics, as well as to examine an individual's ability to learn with and without

the use of colors.

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VII. INDICATIVE ABSTRACT

The aim of this paper is to highlight the significant influence of color on the academic

performance of college students at the University of Santo Tomas Manila, as well as to evaluate

how the use of colors in lectures, visual aids, and reporting can help students understand and

retain information more effectively. A total of 200 specific respondents who use color for

studying and retaining information will be gathered, all of whom are of a different race, gender,

and religion. The researchers will collect and measure data from respondents using a rating scale

and a psychometric test. The current study's findings support the notion that there is a link

between the influence of color and academic performance among University of Santo Tomas

college students. The study's findings are expected to have an impact on students and academic

educators by supplementing lectures, visual aid, and presentation with vibrantly colored texts and

images to improve academic performance.

VIII. INTRODUCTION/RATIONALE/JUSTIFICATION FOR THE RESEARCH

Students use a variety of methods when studying and retaining knowledge in preparation

for their written or oral class activities, and examinations. In research from Zlotnik and

Vansintjan (2019) memory is primarily a neurochemical process that includes conditioning as

well as any type of stored experience. According to Arnold, D. (2022) the process of creating

new memories alters the way brain cells communicate with one another. Some regions of the

brain make more contacts, whereas others lose them. With so much information accumulated

from all of the college students' classes, recalling these specific memories will be difficult.

Therefore, the use of colors must be considered when looking for ways to improve the

educational process and increase students' ability to study.

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 Perception, attention, memory, and thinking are just a few of the cognitive processes

involved in human intelligence. Memory is a critical and fundamental cognitive process that is

commonly associated with the storage and recall of information disclosure. Color, according to

Dzulkifli and Mustafar (2013), can aid in the memory of specific details by increasing attentional

level, wherein c Color has an undeniable impact on one's ability to pay attention. The more

attention drawn to certain stimuli, the more likely they will be transmitted to more permanent

storage space. Colors, as mentioned by Khan and Liu (2020), play an important role in reducing

cognitive overload in the learning process. Color scheme methods and color sensory information

assist numerous psychologists in identifying and treating elderly individuals who are suffering

from linguistic disabilities such as dementia and autism. Aside from memory focus and retention,

there have been numerous studies that show how color can affect one's mood, behavior, and even

diet. As a result, colors can have both mental and physical effects on people.

Various research has been published on the effects of color on the academic performance

of students and the impact of color on cognitive performance. Colors have been studied in many

forms, from photographs to presentations as well as other computer-driven technological

advances. However, little is known about samples taken from adult postgraduate students at the

University of Santo Tomas Manila. This could be due to the misconception that colored materials

are always preferred and that children and adults respond to color in the same way. As a result, it

is reasonable to wonder whether color influences students' retention of information and what

colors are best for improving academic attainment in this age demographic. This study looked at

the effects of colors in an effort to assist educational leaders to choose the right colors for

lessons, visual aids, and presentations. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of color on

the academic performance of college students at the University of Santo Tomas.

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IX. OBJECTIVES/PROBLEM STATEMENTS

This study will be addressing the main question: how does color influence the academic

performance of college students at the University of Santo Tomas?

1. How does the use of color affect the retention rate of students at the University of Santo

Tomas?

2. Why should academic educators use color in their lectures, visual aids, and presentations?

3. Which colors are most effective in increasing student retention at the University of Santo

Tomas?

X. LITERATURE REVIEW

According to the review paper of Chang, Xu, and Watt they discovered how different

colors impact the learning of learners by manipulating their cognition and emotion. It was proven

that colors in instruction materials play a significant role in capturing the attention and creating

different emotional reactions of the learners. It was reviewed in this paper on how colors can

stimulate a learners emotions and how it can influence the memory performance and cognitive

loads of the learners. Moreover, in the published article by GLP (Grant Larson Productions) they

shared that color can make a significant impact on how students behave in class, maintain focus,

and retain information. Blues and greens can be calming, reds and oranges can promote

productivity, and neutral colors can help with maintaining focus. Color has a crucial influence

when it comes to what students remember and the style in which they are assessed.

According to research that appeared in the Journal of Experimental Psychology, those

who were shown colorful pictures did better on a memory test than people who were shown

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black-and-white pictures by 5 to 10%. They also shared that a healthy learning environment

requires visual stimulation through color. In line with this, according to Engelbrecht,

monotonous learning environments like classrooms can make people feel anxious, upset, and

even afraid. Additionally, a lack of color can lead to agitation, exaggerated emotional reactions,

difficulties concentrating, and annoyance (2003).

In the study of Dzulkifli & Mustafar, it was found that colors can lead to a better

performance. The capacity to fully utilize the system is a crucial component of successful and

effective cognitive functioning. An extensive technique that may be employed to guarantee

effective recovery has been developed through research on memory. There seems to be some

foundation for the relationship between color association and memory performance. In other

words, color may enhance the probability that environmental stimuli will be successfully

absorbed, retained, and recalled. Color selection and manipulating characteristics, on the other

hand, can impact the amount to which colors can influence human memory function.

XI. HYPOTHESIS

Null hypothesis - there is no relationship between the influence of color, and the

academic performance among the Santo Tomas college students.

Alternative hypothesis - there is a relationship between the influence of color, and the

academic performance among University of Santo Tomas college students.

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XII. DEFINITIONS OF RESEARCH FACTORS

Operational Definition

Colors - In this study, colors will be defined as the factors that would influence the

studying habits of the students thus resulting in their academic performance.

Students' academic performance - In this study, academic performance of the students is

seen as the outcome of how using different colors influenced their studying habits.

Conceptual Definition

Colors - According to Britannica, colour also spelled as color is the aspect of any object

that may be described in terms of hue, lightness, and saturation. In physics, color is associated

specifically with electromagnetic radiation of a certain wavelength that is visible to the human

eye.

Students' academic performance - According to Ballotpedia, is the measurement of a

students academic performance through various academic subjects.

XIII. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study was conducted to determine the influence of color in the academic

performance of students in the University of Santo Tomas. Therefore, the followings are

suggested to the:

Students. The researchers recommend that students should experiment with using colors

when studying, taking notes, or focusing to see if they can benefit from this method. It may help

them improve their mood, increase their attention span, and academic performance.

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 Academic educators. The research suggests that using more vibrant and bright colors

when preparing lectures, visual aids, and presentations will make the discussion between student

and teacher more interactive and positive. Colors have the ability to alter an individual's

behavior; therefore, the use of colors increases the likelihood that class engagement will be

livelier.

Future researchers. Given that the researchers may have overlooked certain factors that

could have been a significant indicator of how colors influence the academic performance of

college students, the researchers recommend that those who choose to carry out the same study

or a related subject of topic should consider raising the sample size of respondents.

XIV. APPARATUS/INSTRUMENTS/MATERIALS

The following instruments were used by the researchers to collect data from the

respondents:

1. Rating Scale, a closed-ended survey question designed to directly portray respondent

feedback in a quantifiable way for specific characteristics.

2. Psychometric Test, is any evaluation designed to assess a candidate's quality, including

but not limited to skill sets, expertise, qualities, personal characteristics, behaviors, and

employment potential.

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XV. PROCEDURES

In order to collect data, the researchers will follow four steps:

● The researchers will approach college students at the University of Santo Tomas or post

online, first asking if they use colors when studying, taking notes, or use colors to help

them retain information.

● If the student is eligible to participate, the researchers will explain the purpose of the

study and ask if the student is willing to participate.

● If the student agrees to participate, the researchers will present a QR code that the

respondent will scan.

● The QR code will take the student to a website with rating scales and a section devoted

solely to the Psychometric Test.

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XVI. REFERENCES

Academic performance. (n.d.). Ballotpedia. Retrieved December 6, 2022, from

https://ballotpedia.org/Academic_performance

Dzulkifli, Mariam & Mustafar, M. Faiz. (2013). The Influence of Colour on Memory

Performance: A Review. The Malaysian journal of medical sciences : MJMS. 20. 3-9.

Engelbrecht, K. (2017, January 1). [PDF] The Impact of Color on Learning | Semantic Scholar.

[PDF] the Impact of Color on Learning | Semantic Scholar. Retrieved December 5, 2022, from

https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/The-Impact-of-Color-on-Learning-Engelbrecht/370a5af3

c86c1255defe3a1e83a13e9950958800

Nassau, K. (2022, December 3). Color | Definition, Perception, Types, & Facts | Britannica.

Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved December 6, 2022, from

https://www.britannica.com/science/color

The contributions of color to recognition memory for natural scenes. (n.d.). PubMed. Retrieved

December 6, 2022, from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12018503/

The Impact of Colors on Learning. (2022, June 7). New Prairie Press. Retrieved December 4,

2022, from https://newprairiepress.org/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4001&context=aerc

The Psychology of Color: How Do Colors Facilitate Classroom Learning. (2020, June 17).

Grant Larson Productions. Retrieved December 5, 2022, from

https://www.grantlarsonproductions.com/blog/the-psychology-of-color-how-do-colors-facilitate-

classroom-learning

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Wichmann, F. A., Sharpe, L. T., & Gegenfurtner, K. R. (2002). The contributions of color to

recognition memory for natural scenes. Journal of experimental psychology. Learning, memory,

and cognition, 28(3), 509–520.

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XVII. SAFE ASSIGN PLAGIARISM CHECK

Note: The name of our school which is University of Santo Tomas was plagiarized

which explains the high percentage of originality reports.

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