Whether you know it or not, color has a big impact on how your brain sees the world. Did you know if you’re looking at sea green or lemon yellow, your brain feels a different emotion to each? It’s because of the impact color has on the brain, which leads to an impact on your feelings and senses.
“Color impacts the brain because it can greatly affect our physiology, since it influences anxiety, pulse, blood flow and arousal,” Brain Based Biz, a branding blog reported. One of the reasons why color makes an impact on the senses is due to memory. Memory of colors turned out to be surprising, a recent study showed.
Effect of Color on Memory
“A recent study examined differences in peoples’ recall of words and memory for colors. Results show that people recall color to a higher degree. When people were asked to recall objects versus color, color memory was significantly greater,” Brain Based Biz said.
“Even when people attempted to remember words or objects, color had the greatest affect on recall,” the article said.
Colors that make a Difference
Here are a few colors and the corresponding impacts they have on the brain:
- Dark Blue – associated with night, often leads to passivity
- Blue and Green – calming – blue is the most preferred color across cultures
- Red and Orange – arousing
- Red – may stimulate excitement and is used to light gambling casinos
- Pink – interestingly calmed inmates in institutions”
From: Brain Based Biz
A Test in Retail Therapy
Because color can alter your mood, it is no surprise that what you buy can also be affected by what you see.
“Outdoor colors, such as green and blue, are associated with sporting goods stores and even though red may stimulate approach behavior in general, it may not be appropriate for retail environments though it works well for lighting casinos,” the branding blog said.
This experience also correlates with psychology.
“One of the key results from cognitive psychology is that our perception of life is subjective. We colour [color] what we experience by the current state and mood that we are in,” Spirituality and Western Psychology, from Easimatch.com said.
Left and Right Brain
The functions of the left brain and the right brain are also crucial to color and the brain. The brain has two hemispheres—a right side and a left side.
“For most humans, the left side is tied to language and the right more to visual perception, imagery, and emotion,” the Spirituality and Western Psychology article said.
It’s All about the Color
Overall, consumers will use quick brain power to determine whether or not they will make a purchase at a clothing store.
“Research shows people make up their minds to buy within 90 seconds of their initial interactions with either people or products. About 62-90 percent of the assessment is based on colors alone,” the branding blog said.