Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsDanger and WarningExcitement and EnergyAggressionDominancePassion and DesirePower
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Danger and Warning
Excitement and Energy
Aggression
Dominance
Passion and Desire
Power
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Incolor psychology, red provokes the strongest emotions of any color. While cool colors likegreenandblueare generally considered peaceful and calming, the color red is considered the warmest and most contradictory of the colors.
In fact, this fiery hue has more opposing emotional associations than any other color: Red is linked to passion and love as well as power and anger.Here are some of the most common feelings and qualities that the color red can stimulate psychologically.
Verywell / Cindy Chung
The Color Red Conveys Danger and Warning
Thanks to its long wavelength, red is one of the most visible colors in the color spectrum (second only to yellow). Its ability to instantly grab people’s attention is the reason why it’s often used to warn people of impending danger. Think: stop signs, sirens, fire engines, and red traffic lights.
Red is also used to convey danger in a non-literal way. Some examples include using the phrase “in the red” to describe financial loss or “red flag” to indicate when something is wrong with a person or situation.
People tend to associate red with negative, danger-bearing emotions. This could be because it is the color of fire, blood, and sometimes poisonous or dangerous animals.
The Color Red Stimulates Excitement and Energy
This stimulating color is also associated with excitement.
Studies show that being exposed to or wearing red can cause some of the following physical effects:
All of these physiological changes naturally cause your energy levels to spike.
Red Color Psychology and Aggression
Across cultures, people intuitively associate red withthe concept of anger. This relationship makes sense given that many people get red in the face from increased blood flow when they’re angry.
Aggression Explained: What It Is and How to Recognize It
The Color Red Is Associated With Dominance
It’s not just mood and emotions that the color red can affect. In the arena of sports, wearing the color red can also increase your chances of winning.
In the 2004 Olympics in Athens, competitors in four sports—boxing, Greco-Roman wrestling, freestyle wrestling, and taekwondo—were randomly assigned red or blue clothing. In all four competitions, red-clad contestants won more fights.
Whatever the reason, it is clear that red-clad athletes tend to have a significant advantage over their opponents. (Maybe this is why so many athletes, including the great Tiger Woods, wear red clothing when they compete.)
The Color Red Symbolizes Passion and Desire
In a landmark study published in 2008, researchers showed men an image of a woman and asked them to rate her attractiveness. Some men saw a woman wearing a red shirt while others saw the same woman wearing a blue shirt. Results showed that men rated the woman in red as more sexually desirable than thesamewoman in blue.
Some researchers theorize that the reason the color red is associated with sexual arousal is that blood flow increases during arousal, leaving the skin—particularly the face—with a reddish tone.
Red Color Psychology and Power
According to some, this association with power and wealth is the reason why women find men dressed in red so attractive.
One potential explanation for the color red being associated with power is that this color is often used to draw attention.This increased attention signifies that something is important, and power and importance often go hand in hand.
A Word From Verywell
Like other colors, responses to red often depend upon past experiences and cultural influences. Some may find red fun and playful, while others feel it is too bold, exciting, or even dominating. Consider your own feelings for the color red and think about how these factors may have contributed to your reaction (or lack of one) to this color.
What the Color Pink Means, According to Color Psychologists
10 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Kuniecki M, Pilarczyk J, Wichary S.The color red attracts attention in an emotional context. An ERP study.Front Hum Neurosci. 2015;9:212. doi:10.3389/fnhum.2015.00212AL-Ayash A, Kane RT, Smith D, Green-Armytage P.The influence of color on student emotion, heart rate, and performance in learning environments.Color Res Appl. 2015;41(2):196-205. doi:10.1002/col.21949Thorndike AN, Sonnenberg L, Riis J, Barraclough S, Levy DE.A 2-phase labeling and choice architecture intervention to improve healthy food and beverage choices.Am J Public Health. 2012;102(3):527-533. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2011.300391Peromaa T, Olkkonen M.Red color facilitates the detection of facial anger - But how much?.PLoS One. 2019;14(4). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0215610Fetterman AK, Robinson MD, Meier BP.Anger as “seeing red”: Evidence for a perceptual association.Cogn Emot. 2012;26(8):1445-1458. doi:10.1080/02699931.2012.673477Hill RA, Barton RA.Psychology: Red enhances human performance in contests.Nature. 2005;435(7040):293. doi:10.1038/435293aLittle AC, Hill RA.Attribution to red suggests special role in dominance signalling.Journal of Evolutionary Psychology. 2007;5(1-4):1789-2082. doi:10.1556/JEP.2007.1008Elliot AJ, Niesta D.Romantic red: Red enhances men’s attraction to women.J Pers Soc Psychol. 2008;95(5):1150-1164. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.95.5.1150Elliot AJ.Color and psychological functioning: a review of theoretical and empirical work.Front Psychol. 2015;6:368. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00368Elliot AJ, Kayser DN, Greitemeyer T, et al.Red, rank, and romance in women viewing men.J Exp Psychol Gen. 2010;139(3):399-417. doi:10.1037/a0019689
10 Sources
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Kuniecki M, Pilarczyk J, Wichary S.The color red attracts attention in an emotional context. An ERP study.Front Hum Neurosci. 2015;9:212. doi:10.3389/fnhum.2015.00212AL-Ayash A, Kane RT, Smith D, Green-Armytage P.The influence of color on student emotion, heart rate, and performance in learning environments.Color Res Appl. 2015;41(2):196-205. doi:10.1002/col.21949Thorndike AN, Sonnenberg L, Riis J, Barraclough S, Levy DE.A 2-phase labeling and choice architecture intervention to improve healthy food and beverage choices.Am J Public Health. 2012;102(3):527-533. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2011.300391Peromaa T, Olkkonen M.Red color facilitates the detection of facial anger - But how much?.PLoS One. 2019;14(4). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0215610Fetterman AK, Robinson MD, Meier BP.Anger as “seeing red”: Evidence for a perceptual association.Cogn Emot. 2012;26(8):1445-1458. doi:10.1080/02699931.2012.673477Hill RA, Barton RA.Psychology: Red enhances human performance in contests.Nature. 2005;435(7040):293. doi:10.1038/435293aLittle AC, Hill RA.Attribution to red suggests special role in dominance signalling.Journal of Evolutionary Psychology. 2007;5(1-4):1789-2082. doi:10.1556/JEP.2007.1008Elliot AJ, Niesta D.Romantic red: Red enhances men’s attraction to women.J Pers Soc Psychol. 2008;95(5):1150-1164. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.95.5.1150Elliot AJ.Color and psychological functioning: a review of theoretical and empirical work.Front Psychol. 2015;6:368. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00368Elliot AJ, Kayser DN, Greitemeyer T, et al.Red, rank, and romance in women viewing men.J Exp Psychol Gen. 2010;139(3):399-417. doi:10.1037/a0019689
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Kuniecki M, Pilarczyk J, Wichary S.The color red attracts attention in an emotional context. An ERP study.Front Hum Neurosci. 2015;9:212. doi:10.3389/fnhum.2015.00212AL-Ayash A, Kane RT, Smith D, Green-Armytage P.The influence of color on student emotion, heart rate, and performance in learning environments.Color Res Appl. 2015;41(2):196-205. doi:10.1002/col.21949Thorndike AN, Sonnenberg L, Riis J, Barraclough S, Levy DE.A 2-phase labeling and choice architecture intervention to improve healthy food and beverage choices.Am J Public Health. 2012;102(3):527-533. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2011.300391Peromaa T, Olkkonen M.Red color facilitates the detection of facial anger - But how much?.PLoS One. 2019;14(4). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0215610Fetterman AK, Robinson MD, Meier BP.Anger as “seeing red”: Evidence for a perceptual association.Cogn Emot. 2012;26(8):1445-1458. doi:10.1080/02699931.2012.673477Hill RA, Barton RA.Psychology: Red enhances human performance in contests.Nature. 2005;435(7040):293. doi:10.1038/435293aLittle AC, Hill RA.Attribution to red suggests special role in dominance signalling.Journal of Evolutionary Psychology. 2007;5(1-4):1789-2082. doi:10.1556/JEP.2007.1008Elliot AJ, Niesta D.Romantic red: Red enhances men’s attraction to women.J Pers Soc Psychol. 2008;95(5):1150-1164. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.95.5.1150Elliot AJ.Color and psychological functioning: a review of theoretical and empirical work.Front Psychol. 2015;6:368. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00368Elliot AJ, Kayser DN, Greitemeyer T, et al.Red, rank, and romance in women viewing men.J Exp Psychol Gen. 2010;139(3):399-417. doi:10.1037/a0019689
Kuniecki M, Pilarczyk J, Wichary S.The color red attracts attention in an emotional context. An ERP study.Front Hum Neurosci. 2015;9:212. doi:10.3389/fnhum.2015.00212
AL-Ayash A, Kane RT, Smith D, Green-Armytage P.The influence of color on student emotion, heart rate, and performance in learning environments.Color Res Appl. 2015;41(2):196-205. doi:10.1002/col.21949
Thorndike AN, Sonnenberg L, Riis J, Barraclough S, Levy DE.A 2-phase labeling and choice architecture intervention to improve healthy food and beverage choices.Am J Public Health. 2012;102(3):527-533. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2011.300391
Peromaa T, Olkkonen M.Red color facilitates the detection of facial anger - But how much?.PLoS One. 2019;14(4). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0215610
Fetterman AK, Robinson MD, Meier BP.Anger as “seeing red”: Evidence for a perceptual association.Cogn Emot. 2012;26(8):1445-1458. doi:10.1080/02699931.2012.673477
Hill RA, Barton RA.Psychology: Red enhances human performance in contests.Nature. 2005;435(7040):293. doi:10.1038/435293a
Little AC, Hill RA.Attribution to red suggests special role in dominance signalling.Journal of Evolutionary Psychology. 2007;5(1-4):1789-2082. doi:10.1556/JEP.2007.1008
Elliot AJ, Niesta D.Romantic red: Red enhances men’s attraction to women.J Pers Soc Psychol. 2008;95(5):1150-1164. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.95.5.1150
Elliot AJ.Color and psychological functioning: a review of theoretical and empirical work.Front Psychol. 2015;6:368. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00368
Elliot AJ, Kayser DN, Greitemeyer T, et al.Red, rank, and romance in women viewing men.J Exp Psychol Gen. 2010;139(3):399-417. doi:10.1037/a0019689
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