Human beings usually experience and perceive the world as a colorful place. Furthermore, people perceived color in virtually every object that they view in their everyday life. The colorful nature of the world can also be experienced even in instances when a person is dreaming. The article “Color Psychology: Effects of Perceiving Color on Psychological Functioning in Humans” by Elliot and Maier (2014) is about how human beings perceive colors from a psychological function perspective. The authors state that people who have normal visions usually experience a broad spectrum of rich chromatic pallets. It implies that a person who does not have any vision problem can encounter more than 2.3 million colors (Elliot & Maier, 2014). It is also worth stating that the colors may appear in an infinite number of combinations as a person interacts with the world. Consequently, attempts have been made to explore and study how people experience and perceive colors. The authors of the articles noted that there is a significant volume of information and research evidence on various aspects of colors. In some studies, the focus has been on the physics of color and how people perceive them (Elliot & Maier, 2014). In other instances, the studies revolve around the way the brain and the eye process color into a language that can easily be understood. It is also worth stating that empirical research has been done on color reproduction, color appearance, and the way color perceptions affect psychological functioning in human beings. Surprisingly, there is a minimal number of studies that have been done to empirically determine the extent to which color perceptions affect psychological functions in human beings. Elliot and Maier (2014) conducted their study to explore the subject and add to the existing empirical and theoretical literature on the potential correlation between color and psychological function. This paper aims to summarize the article by Elliot and Maier (2014) and conduct a critical appraisal about it.
Summary of the Article
In recent years, attempts have been made by researchers to examine the subject of color and how it affects everyday life. Elliot and Maier (2014) conducted a study to determine the impact of color perceptions on affective, cognitive, and behavioral functions in human beings. Besides, the researchers focused on the extent to which such color perceptions can influence daily life within the achievement, affiliation, and attraction contexts. The study entailed reviewing previous research articles related to the subject being investigated (Elliot & Maier, 2014). The results of the study showed that there is a limited amount of empirical research on color psychology. Besides, minimal attention has been directed towards determining how color perceptions affect psychological function among human beings (Elliot & Maier, 2014). The empirical work that the researchers reviewed in the course of their study showed that color carries diverse meanings. Also, various colors affect cognitive, affective, and behavioral functions in human beings. For instance, the researchers suggested that color red was one of the important colors that would influence how people perceive the world, Furthermore, such color codes affected the way people behaved and interacted with each other. Elliot and Maier (2014) concluded that further investigations are required to determine the context-specific influence of various types of colors that human beings experience. The outcome of such studies can provide a basis for developing color-based programs for enhancing human affective and cognitive experiences.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Critical appraisal of the Article
Research usually provide an important avenue through which complex issues and subjects can be explored. Also, the findings from studies help in unrevealing important concepts and ideas that can affect human beings. While conducting studies, researchers need to select and use appropriate methodology and techniques that will result in the generation of valid and reliable results. Furthermore, the researchers should focus on answering the formulated question and highlighting how the findings can be generalized. A critical appraisal of an article helps in determining whether the right method was followed in a study to generate valid and meaningful outcomes.
In the present case, Elliot and Maier (2014) began by giving historical information regarding the subject of colors and its impacts on psychological functioning in human beings. The authors stated that attempts to link color to psychological functioning in human beings started in the 18 th century. In particular, the authors refer to the work of Goethe (1810/1967) where attempts were made to give speculations regarding how people perceive colors. In the initial studies, researchers strived to categorize colors into different groups depending on the way they were perceived by the viewer. Besides, the approach that was used in categorizing colors was based on the way the colors affected the feelings of the viewers. In such studies, colors like red and yellow were considered to be capable of inducing positive feelings. In addition, they induced a feeling of warmth, aspiration, and optimism (Elliot & Maier, 2014). Other colors such as blue and green, in contrast, were linked to negative feelings such as cold, anxiety, and restlessness. As time passed, researchers started exploring other concepts such as wavelength in colors and the way they affected human feelings. For instance, Nakashian (1964) argued that long-wavelength colors like orange and green could be linked to the feeling of warmth and positivity. In contrast, the short-wavelength colors such as blue and green create a feeling of relaxation. The studies provided the foundation for further research on the extent to which colors affected human functioning.
Another important area that Elliot and Maier (2014) focused on was the theoretical and methodological elements in studies on the effect of color on psychological function. The authors stated that there has been a significant advancement in terms of developing theoretical frameworks that could be used to explore colors. Elliot and Maier (2014) argued that researchers have used empirical methods to study a wide range of concepts related to color perceptions. The frameworks that have been used in such studies allow for conducting both human and animal model studies. For instance, Hill and Barton (2005) used the direcmpirical test method to determine how colors affected the behavior of primates. The researchers stated that red color promoted competitive interaction between the primates (Elliot & Maier, 2014). The trend was attributed to the belief that red coloration induced the desire for testosterone-based domination. Stephen et al. (2009), on the other hand, used a methodology that could help in studying the experimental effect of color wavelength on behavior. The researchers stated that the red color was linked with attractiveness and domination.
The decision by the researchers to provide background information on the methodologies that have been used in previous studies allows the researcher to understand the basis of the current study. Researchers used a wide range of approaches and methods to achieve the objectives of their studies. The kind of methods that are adopted in every study can affect the results. Besides, the methods and data collection techniques influence the reliability and generalizability of the findings. Therefore, it is imperative to always explore how researchers gather and analyze data before generalizing the results. In the present article, the authors gave an in-depth description of the different methodologies that have been used in previous studies. The information allows the reader to determine the potentials shortcomings of the research articles that have been published to provide information on the way color perceptions affect psychological functions. Besides, the reader can compare the shortcomings of the previous articles and determine the literature gaps that Elliot and Maier (2014) wanted to fill. In the long run, the audience can understand the importance of the articles being reviewed in this paper and the way it contributes to the understanding of the subject of color perception.
The findings of the study are also provided in a detailed and clear manner. Elliot and Maier (2014) categorized the findings into three major groups. The first major result revolved around the subject of color and achievement context. In this case, the authors highlighted and references articles that had shown that specific types of colors affected human performance and level of competition. The authors highlighted studies such as Ilie et al. (2008) and Hill & Barton (2005) where it had been reported that colors like red could be linked to improved performance among human beings. The second group of findings was related to the impact of colors from an attraction and affiliation perspective. The authors stated that there is a significant body of research evidence showing that there is a positive correlation between color and attractiveness. For instance, studies have shown that colors like white and yellow have been used as the basis for showing improved health (Stephen et al. 2009). In other cases, researchers have shown that men associated the color red with dominance and attractiveness (Stephen et al., 2009). Finally, the authors of the article being reviewed also highlighted findings on color as stimuli. In this case, the researchers noted that color could affect attraction and how people interacted with each other. Moreover, the behavior of a person towards the people he or she interacts with can depend on the way they perceive colors.
The article being reviewed has certain strengths and shortcomings that should be taken into consideration. The first strength is that the authors provided a detailed background of the study to enable the reader to understand and appreciate the literature gap that was to be filled. Secondly, the researchers aimed at answering an important and clear research question. Third, the authors used information from a wide range of empirical studies to give a multi-perspective account of the issue being addressed. Finally, the findings of the article and reported concisely and clearly. On the negative side, the study did not entail conducting a primary study to gather first-hand information on the subject of color perception. Moreover, it may not be easy to generalize the findings since the authors did not focus on a specific sample population. The limitations notwithstanding, the article provides vital information on the subject of color perception.
Future Research
Color is a complex variable that has been studied in different ways. Furthermore, researchers have used a broad range of methodologies to examine the construct and determine how it affects human life and experiences. Over the years, researchers have attempted to develop theories and frameworks that can help in understanding the link between color and psychological function. The study that was Elliot and Maier (2014) offers vital information that can contribute to a better understanding of the subject of color from a psychological functioning perspective. Like in previous studies, Elliot and Maier (2014) appear to have used information from other studies that have been done based on tightly controlled laboratory experiments (Elliot & Maier, 2014). Such studies are normally done to evaluate color as a single construct that influences psychological functioning in a distraction-free environment. In the real world, however, such an environment might not exist. Therefore, there is a need to carry out further investigations in a real-world setting where the effect of other confounding variables such as age and gender can also be identified and explored. The information from such studies will help in expanding the body of literature and research evidence on how color affects human life and experiences.
The empirical work and theory on the correlation between psychological function and color have been slow. In the study that was appraised in this paper, the researchers conducted a selective project that entailed focusing on specific investigations that have highlighted the positive link between color and psychological functions (Elliot & Maier, 2014). The researchers provided provocative and interesting findings on the extent to which color can influence cognition and behavior. Further investigations should be done on how specific types of colors affect cognition in human beings. Moreover, there is a need to investigate how the link between color perceptions and psychological functioning can be mediated and moderated by other variables. The results obtained through the empirical studies will expand the existing body of research evidence.
Conclusion
The subject of color has been explored widely in previous studies. In addition, researchers have attempted to investigate how color perceptions affect cognitive functioning in human beings. Elliot and Maier (2014) also conducted a study to add to the existing body of research literature by exploring how color perceptions affected cognitive function and human behavior. The researchers based their study on empirical information from previous studies. A critical review of the article shows that the authors were able to gather vital information related to the subject being investigated. The findings of the study can be used as the basis for creating color-based programs and interventions for changing human behavior and enhancing cognitive function.
References
Elliot, A., & Maier, M. (2014). Color psychology: Effects of perceiving color on psychological functioning in humans. Annu. Rev. Psychol., 65, 95–120.
Goethe, W. (1810/1967). Theory of colors . Frank Cass.
Hill, R.A, & Barton, R.A. (2005). Red enhances human performance in contests. Nature, 435 , 293.
Ilie, A., Ioan, S., Zagrean, L., & Moldovan, M. (2008). Better to be red than blue in virtual competition. Cyberpsychol.Behav. 11 , 375–77.
Jung, I., Kim, M., & Han, K. (2011). Red for romance, blue for memory. HCI Int.: Posters Extended Abstr. Commun. Comput. Inf. Sci.173, 284–88.
Nakashian, J.S. (1964). The effects of red and green surroundings on behavior. Gen. Psychol.70 , 143–162.
Stephen, D., Coetzee, V., Smith, M., & Perrett, D. (2009). Skin blood perfusion and oxygenation color affect perceived human health. PLoS ONE4 , e5083.
