2019 Volume 70 Issue 3 Pages 140-149
It is a desirable trait to be able to perform actions and behaviors in daily life intuitively. Symbolism exists in colors, and application of colors in universal design is thought to influence living behaviors. We investigated whether colors psychologically elicit “opening” behaviors. Subjects were 252 female university students. Sixty-three photographs were prepared combining 3 different items, 3 different display methods, and 7 different colors as test materials. Test photographs were presented one at a time to the subjects, who judged the “ease of understanding” of “opening” behaviors. Displays were judged as easier to understand when “both letters and symbols” were displayed and the colors used were “vivid red,” “vivid blue,” or “black.” Additionally, photos were easier to understand with any item when “vivid red” was associated with “opening.” These results show that “opening” behavior can be psychologically elicited by color, and demonstrate that colors are effective for suggesting living behaviors.
