Sunday, December 27, 2009

Color and Its Influence

For centuries, scientists, artists and scholars have theorized about the influence of color on the human mind and the world around us. As the modern era emerged, scientists have been able to prove some of the claims made, while others remain either unproven, or debunked.

For example, it is a known fact that newborn babies with jaundice can be treated with blue light to eliminate the yellowing. It is also a proven fact that people in rooms with a significant amount of greenery have a higher tolerance for pain and rest better when ill. Studies have shown that exposure to red causes an increase in heart rate and blood pressure. It has also been proven that printed material using black text on a yellow background is more clearly legible and is more readily memorable than any other color combination.

There are other color benefits that have been proven, and just as many purported benefits that are merely conjecture or based on purely anecdotal evidence. Many of the latter are a matter of traditional beliefs about a specific color and may appear true simply because the viewer believes it to be so.

There are also cultural attitudes regarding color. In western cultures black is the traditional color of mourning, while in Asian cultures the color of mourning is white. Western cultures view white as symbolizing purity and hope and is the color traditionally worn by brides, while in eastern cultures red is worn by wedding celebrants because it symbolizes joy and luck. Many eastern cultures would view white as an inappropriate color for a bridal celebration.

No comments:

Post a Comment