Color psychology is the study of colors and their relationship to human behavior. Color psychology is used in marketing and can help influence the consumer’s emotions and feelings about certain products or services. It is also used often  in rooms and other areas of art and design. Sophomore Kylie Karner said, “I wholeheartedly believe in it. In middle school, I started to struggle with anxiety which is why I painted my walls green! I wanted to make my room a safe space. Yellow is my favorite color, and I think it is because I associate it with happiness so much.”  Does being around a lot of yellow actually make you happier? Or does being around a lot of blue make you more sad? Let us find out!

  Way back in 1666, Sir Isaac Newton discovered that when white light passes through a prism, that prism separates the visible colors. He also found that each color is made up of a single wavelength and cannot be further separated into other colors. You may have noticed before that you are able to mix certain colors to create other colors. Although color is all around us, there is little research done on the actual psychology behind these colors. As formerly mentioned, the study of color psychology is usually a topic discussed in marketing, design, art, and a few other areas. Color is important in marketing because it evokes a certain feeling, and depending on how consumers feel about a product or service, there might be a greater chance that the consumer will buy the item. For example, the Nickelodeon symbol is orange, and according to color psychology, the color orange gives off a friendly and cheerful feeling. Viewers would be more likely to view that kids network if it gave off a friendly and cheerful feeling than if it was a color such as grey, which is a neutral color that does not give off the feelings that the company wants the viewers to feel. In marketing, many say that it is pretty reliable. Although it may not completely affect a customer’s choice, it can definitely help. 

  Other than marketing and advertising, color is often used in many other ways such as a type of therapy. Ancient Egyptians and Chinese practiced chromotherapy, meaning that they used certain colors to heal. This type is still used today; however, it is typically referred to as light therapy. For example, they believed the color red was used to stimulate the body and mind and to increase circulation. The color yellow was used to stimulate the nerves, as well as to purify the body. Blue was even thought to soothe illnesses and pain. Today, this method is believed to be way exaggerated, and many have pointed out that colors can mean different things in different cultures. When it comes to people’s feelings and colors, there is still controversy over how effective it really is. 

  Researchers are still figuring out the reliability of the actual effect that colors have on people’s feelings and behaviors. It has different effects on different people, so you might have to test it out yourself and see what works best for you. If your favorite color is pink and you surround yourself with more of that color, will your mood increase? Try it out!