Turning Red at New U of R Study
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Reported by: WROC-TV
Tuesday, Oct 28, 2008 @08:48am EDT
 A new study from the University of Rochester confirms something you knew all along - red is the color of romance.
The study, which will be published Tuesday on the website of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, said that red makes men feel more amorous toward women. What's more - men are unaware of the effect that the color has.
For nearly all of us, red has been associated with Valentine's Day and love all our lives. But the study finds that it may be biology, and not societal conditioning, that leads to the strong links between red and love.
The study said that nonhuman male primates are
particularly attracted to females displaying red. Female baboons and
chimpanzees, for example, redden conspicuously when nearing ovulation,
sending a clear sexual signal designed to attract males.
The study looked at men's
responses to photographs of women under a variety of color
presentations. In one experiment, test subjects looked at a woman's
photo framed by a border of either red or white and answered a series
of questions, such as: "How pretty do you think this person is?" Other
experiments contrasted red with gray, green, or blue - with equal saturation and brightness levels.
Another question asked: "Imagine that
you are going on a date with this person and have $100 in your wallet.
How much money would you be willing to spend on your date?" Under all
of the conditions, the women shown framed by or wearing red were rated
significantly more attractive and sexually desirable by men than the
exact same women shown with other colors. When wearing red, the woman
was also more likely to score an invitation to the prom and to be
treated to a more expensive outing.
As for females - red did not increase attractiveness ratings for women rating other women, and red did not change how men rated the women in
the photographs in terms of likability, intelligence or kindness.
The study was conducted by Andrew Elliot, a professor of psychology, and Daniela Niesta, a post-doctoral researcher. To see the study for yourself, click here.
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