ABSTRACT
Following is a list of colors and their associated psychological properties 1 :
Red —Red is a powerful color. Its effect is physical, strong, and basic. Red is stimulating and lively as well as friendly. A person wearing a red tie does so because it is called a “power tie.”
Positives: Physical, Courage, Strength, Warmth, Energy, Basic Survival, Fight or Flight, Stimulation, Masculinity, Excitement.
Negatives: Defiance, Aggressive and Aggression, Visual Impact, Strain.
Blue —Blue is the color of the mind and is essentially soothing. It affects us mentally, rather than the physical reaction we have to red. Strong blues will stimulate clear thoughts, and lighter, soft blues will calm the mind and aid concentration. The world's favorite color is blue, but it can be perceived as cold, unemotional, and unfriendly.
Positives: Intellectual, Communication, Trust, Efficiency, Serenity, Duty, Logic, Coolness, Reflection, Calm.
Negatives: Coldness, Aloofness, Lack of Emotion, Unfriendliness.
113Yellow—The yellow wavelength is relatively long and essentially stimulating. The wrong color scheme with yellow can cause fear and anxiety.
Positives: Emotional, Optimism, Confidence, Self-Esteem, Extraversion, Emotional Strength, Friendliness, Creativity.
Negatives: Irrationality, Fear, Emotional Fragility, Depression, Anxiety, Suicide.
Green —If a green color scheme is used incorrectly it can indicate stagnation.
Positives: Harmony, Balance, Refreshment, Universal Love, Rest, Restoration, Reassurance, Environmental Awareness, Equilibrium, Peace.
Negatives: Boredom, Stagnation, Blandness, Enervation.
Violet—The excessive use of purple can bring about too much of the wrong tone faster than any other color if it communicates something cheap and nasty.
Positives: Spiritual Awareness, Containment, Vision, Luxury, Authenticity, Truth, Quality.
Negatives: Introversion, Suppression, Inferiority.
Orange —Orange focuses our minds on issues of physical comfort—food, warmth, shelter, and sensuality. It is a fun color. Too much orange suggests a lack of serious intellectual values.
Positives: Physical Comfort, Food, Warmth, Security, Sensuality, Passion, Abundance, Fun.
Negatives: Introversion, Decadence, Suppression, Inferiority.
Black —Black is all colors, totally absorbed. It creates barriers, as it absorbs all the energy coming toward you. Black is the absence of light. Many people are afraid of the dark. In cowboy movies, the good guys wear what color hats? The bad guys wear what color hats? We wear a black tie to a funeral. We wear black to look thinner, though in 2016 a fashion designer stated that multicolor clothing was the way to go. Black race horses look faster.
Positives: Sophistication, Glamour, Security, Emotional Safety, Efficiency, Substance.
Negatives: Oppression, Coldness, Menace, Heaviness.
Gray —The heavy use of gray usually indicates a lack of confidence and fear of exposure.
Positives: Psychological Neutrality.
Negatives: Lack of Confidence, Dampness, Lack of Energy, Depression, Hibernation.
Pink —Being a tint of red, pink also affects us physically, but it soothes rather than stimulates. Pink is a powerful color, psychologically.
114Positives: Physical Comfort, Food, Warmth, Security, Sensuality, Passion, Abundance, Fun.
Negatives: Inhibition, Emotional Claustrophobia, Emasculation, Physical Weakness.
White —White is total reflection. It reflects the full force of the spectrum to the eyes. White is purity, the negative effect of white on warm colors is to make them look and feel garish.
Positives: Hygiene, Sterility, Clarity, Purity, Cleanness, Simplicity, Sophistication, Efficiency.
Negatives: Sterility, Coldness, Barriers, Unfriendliness, Elitism. White is total reflection.
Brown —Brown usually consists of red and yellow with a large percentage of black.
Positives: Seriousness, Warmth, Nature, Earthiness, Reliability, Support.
Negatives: Lack of Humor, Heaviness, Lack of Sophistication.
Purple—Throughout her 2016 presidential campaign, Hillary Clinton's clothing was symbolic. A popular color for her was white; the color of the suffragette movement. 2 She wore it when she accepted the nomination at the Democratic National Convention, at the final presidential debate, and on Election Day. While making her concession speech to President-Elect Donald Trump and the nation on Wednesday, however, Clinton went with another color: purple. 3 This color, too, holds a tremendous amount of symbolism. Purple, along with white and gold, are the colors of the National Women's Party, 4 according to The New York Times. An early statement by the Democratic Party stated that purple symbolizes “loyalty, constancy to purpose, and unswerving steadfastness to a cause.” 5
