EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY

2B – AB PSYCHOLOGY

COLLEGE OF SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES

BATAAN PENINSULA STATE UNIVERSITY - BALANGA CAMPUS

The Effects of Color on the mood of Psychology

Students

CYREEN JOY ATIS

CRIS ANNE AYSON

ALLANA SHERWIN BALUYOT

DONALEI COLET IZON

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Abstract:

Introduction:

College students have been among

Statement of the problem:

The narrative that every color is often associated with a person’s emotions. These are

responsible for how they present themselves in such ways that how they interact with others,

especially through the idea that a specific color has always been preferred and they do not. It

reflects how this element has to be done in their state of mind and what are the possible effects

in their everyday mood. It is as if such colors are equated as an invitation for unwanted

behavior and unsolicited comments or in positive vibes and results that are coming from their

own interpretation in this element. Needless to say, psychology effects happen to people

regardless of what the gender is, proving how prevalent it is.

Hence, the present study aims to determine how the color affects the mood/state of mind

of the psychology student in BPSU (Balanga Campus) and how they perceived on a single day.

To further clarify the goals of this study, details were specified below:

What type of color do the respondents they much prefer?

How often have respondents used this color in their everyday life and in what way?

Does this color serve as their coping mechanisms in their problems, stress etc?

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Does the perception of color have an impact on/to their mood/behavior?

What negative effects on the mood of the respondent's least-preferred color

Sampling Method:

Simple Random Sampling

Number of Target Participants:

14 (5 Males) and (9 Females)

Apparatus:

Mobile phone / Computer / Laptop

Internet Connection

Procedure:

The experimenter will send a Google form that contains questions about the effects of

color on the mood of psychology student.

The researchers recruited a total of 14 participants. The participants that serve as a

treatment group will be assigned to answer the first two questions with their own opinion then

they will proceed to the next part to select which colors they feel (which color describes)

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based on the mood that corresponds to how often they have experienced the event according

to the following. Answering the questionnaires took only three to five minutes.

Note:

Due to NCOv-19's (COVID-19) threat, we adjusted from face-to-face hands on-

experiment to much safer, and contactless, procedure. We will send a link of our

questionnaire to a participant (Goggle Form) Also our group, never had a physical meeting or

in equivalent; this is to promote and practice of safety precautionary measures implemented

by the government.)

Review of Related Literature

Color is the visual perceptual property corresponding in humans to the categories

called red, green, blue, and others. Color derives from the spectrum of light (distribution of
light energy versus wavelength) interacting in the eye with the spectral sensitivities of the
light receptors (Brodie, n.d.). The seven colors of the spectrum are produced by light waves
of varied lengths that reflect off tangible animate and inanimate objects (Marberry, 1995, p.
15). Light and color are simply a matter of vibrational frequency. Chromatics, the science of
color, is the study of this relationship (Graham, 1990).

The narrow band of energy that the human eye can detect extends from 380 nm at the
red end to 760 nm at the violet end. Sunlight produces all color wavelengths. When human
eyes interpret the wavelengths of light reflected from an object, they see color (Day & Rich,
2009). Wright (2008) defines color as, “color is light, which travels to us in waves from the
sun, on the same electro-magnetic spectrum as radio and television waves, micro waves, x-
rays etc.”

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 Generally, the primary colors are the three basic hues red, blue, and yellow (Aves &
Aves, 1994). It is impossible to combine primary colors with different hues. They serve as
the foundation for all other pigments. They stand on their own as colors. Secondary colors
are combinations were made by mixing the two primary colors in an equal amount.
Secondary colors are situated between main colors on the color wheel. The classic color
wheel states that red and yellow produce orange, blue and purple, and yellow and blue make
green. Tertiary colors are created by combining primary colors with secondary colors, two
secondary colors, a primary color that has reached full saturation and a different primary
color that has reached half saturation.

Wright (2008) defines it as the effects of the electro-magnetic radiation of light on

human mood and behavior—a universal, psychophysical reaction, which is not as heavily
influenced by culture, age, and gender as is generally thought.

At times, color gives us an enormous effect on our daily lives corresponding in some
questions like, why does color have such a strong influence on our lives? How might it
impact our bodies and minds? While color perceptions might be fairly personal, other color
effects have a more general significance.

Wright (2008) says there are four psychological primary colors: red, blue, yellow, and
green. They relate, respectively, to the body, the mind, the emotions, and the essential
balance between these three. The emotional effects of the basic colors are as follows:

Color psychology suggests that certain colors are capable of evoking certain moods
and may even have an influence over behavior and well-being. Red is the hue that elicits the
strongest emotions according to color psychology. Red is regarded as the warmest and most
polarizing hue.

In contrast to other colors, this flaming color is associated with more conflicting
emotions: Red is linked to passion and love as well as power and anger (Kuniecki, 2015).
Red, however, does not always denote danger and hostility. Red is also associated with
passion, love, and desire, which is maybe not unexpected. Blue is a color that is frequently

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seen in the natural world, like the light blue of the midday sky or the rich, dark blue of a deep
body of water. Perhaps as a result, the color blue is frequently referred to as quiet and
calming. Blue, despite being a cool color, can occasionally appear chilly, remote, or even
freezing.

On the other hand, yellow is frequently thought of as a vibrant, energizing color. It is

frequently applied to circumstances and goods that aim to evoke enthusiasm or energy. It
immediately catches the eye because to its brightness. Its energy may appear vivacious,
powerful, overpowering, or even rude and forceful. Yellow is often regarded as a lively,
stimulating hue. It is frequently used to describe situations and things meant to inspire
enthusiasm or vigor. Its brilliance draws attention to it right away. Its energy might come out
as energetic, strong, domineering, or even obnoxious and pushy.

The color green is often strongly associated with nature and conjures up images of
lush grass, trees, and forests. Green is frequently said to as a serene and energizing color.
Green is also frequently associated with wealth, good fortune, health, and envy. In color
psychology, colors made up of long wavelengths are considered "arousing or warm," whereas
colors such as green that have shorter wavelengths are "relaxing or cool" (Elliot, 2015).
Although the color green is frequently linked with happiness, it can also be a sign of envy.
The roots of the expression "green with envy," which you've definitely heard, are unknown.
People frequently characterize the color green as natural, fresh, and relaxing because it is
closely related to nature.

Hence, there is a great deal of evidence that color have the superiority in our mind and
to the behavior. But keep in mind that personal experiences and societal influences also play
a role in determining how we respond to color.

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Results:

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 The table above indicates the mean scores of each genre of music based on the

outcome of the questionnaire given. Pop has a mean score of 2.23, Classical has a score of

2.52, Rock has a score of 2.36, Blues has a score of 2.09, Reggae has a score of 2.46, and

Gospel has a score of 2.32. It is noted that the Classical genre of music has the highest mean

score, indicating that it has greatly affected the mood of the respondents, while the lowest

mean score belongs to the Blues genre.

Discussion:

Using the STAI, evaluate the participant's stress level, choosing from 1-4 scores (like a

Trt scale) after listening to a particular music genre to personally record their anxiety or
mood.

(See the Research Data for detailed information)

To avoid being biased toward stereotyping musical genres, we also used Simple Random

Sampling.

The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory is a psychological inventory based on a 4-point Likert

scale and consists of questions on a self-report basis. The STAI measures two types of

anxiety – state anxiety, or anxiety about an event, and trait anxiety, or anxiety level as a

personal characteristic.

4-point likert scale matrix:

1 point (1-1.75) = Not at all

2 points (1.76-2.50) = Somewhat

3 points (2.51-3.25) = Moderately so

4 points (3.26 - 4) = Very much so

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1) How music affects the mood of an individual when listening to the genre of:

1. Pop = 2.23

2. Classical = 2.51

3. Rock = 2.36

4. Blues = 2.09

5. Reggae = 2.46

6. Gospel = 2.32

2) What is/are the effective genre/s to listen to when:

• uplifting mood - (to raise, elevate, lift up your mood)

The genres that uplift the participant's mood (and not raise their level of anxiety)

A.

1. Pop - 2.23

Considering the interpretation matrix of weighed mean (shown above) pop is the most

effective genre to uplift or "not to be stressed" (see the Research Data for detailed

information)

B.

1. Classical - 2.51

The highest weighed mean to the list of genres. The data shows when participants

listen to this genre, their anxiety raises up.

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Conclusion:

After analyzing and interpreting the data records, we can finally come up with a

conclusion that may help other music listeners. The Pop genre can be more positive than the

other genres because of the artist (BTS) and its melodic design for calmness and bringing a

clear state of mind "even though some of the listeners can't understand what these artists are

saying," technically speaking. Its positive effects show that the pop genre can have a

beneficial effect on brain chemicals such as dopamine, which is linked to feelings of pleasure,

and oxytocin, the so-called "love hormone." And there is moderate evidence that music can

help lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

Other research indicates that "good music" improves mood. It also demonstrates that

listening to music can improve your overall well-being, help regulate emotions, and create

happiness and relaxation in your daily life. It reduces stress, anxiety, improves exercise,

memory, and pain relief. It is soothing and improves cognition. It is said that listening to "bad

music" or, in our case, "classical music" can cause anxiety. Anxiety is linked to our own

mood. When we are happy, we are positive; when we are sad, we are negative. Stress is the

feeling of being overwhelmed or unable to cope with mental or emotional pressure. Is this

mainly because classical music is always interconnected with some sad part of the movies or

videos we watch? There are hundreds of reasons to explain why it is becoming negative, but

in this research, we suggest that it is the wrong perception of the music genre that is affiliated

with sad endings or being part of the tragic end of a story. There are a variety of reasons why

they may regard it as "bad music."

References

Kenealy, P. (1988). Validation of a music mood induction procedure:

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Marshall, W. O. (1981, July 31). ERIC - ED225883 –

Effects of Different Genres of Music on Stress Levels., 1981-Aug. ERIC.

https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED225883

Raglio, A., Attardo, L., Gontero, G., Rollino, S., Groppo, E., & Granieri, E. (2015).

World Journal of Psychiatry. Effects of Music and Music Therapy on Mood in

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