Colours surround us everywhere. They can evoke feelings and alter our everyday decision-making, conveying meanings and hidden symbolism not only visually but also in language phrases like idioms. This article explores diverse roles of colour in our lives, from enhancing memory and attention to its practical applications in education.
Short statistics: it has been scientifically proved that colour can increase brand recognition by up to 80% and coloured advertisements can attract people to read the add up to 42% more often than the non-coloured ones. Color plays a similar role in education, helping students understand and retain information better. The use of colour allows patients with dyslexia significantly reduce their reading difficulties. Color works similarly for autistic patients, improving their reading speed by up to 35%.
🎨How colors influence our mind
Colors have distinct psychological effects depending on their hue and wavelength. Apparently, warm colors, particularly red, may be remembered better than cool tones such as blue. Nevertheless, the contrast between colors significantly affects memory performance and concentration. Studies reveal that contrasts between warm colors, such as red and orange, enhance cognitive tasks more effectively than contrasts between cooler shades, like brown and gray.
Colors also have an emotion-arousing effect, while the arousing level depends on emotion or feeling attached to it. Sense of colour may vary within different cultural contexts. In Ukraine, the perception of colour is following:
White represents purity, innocence, and elegance but sometimes can evoke feelings of coldness, sterility, and even disappointment. Red, on the other hand, embodies the intensity of love and energy. It stands for life, blood, strength, and courage, capturing both the passion and conflict that define human existence. Orange is a color of glory and ambition, reflecting growth and the drive for success. Yellow, often associated with the warmth and joy of the Sun, symbolizes prosperity, imagination, and openness, yet it can also hint at moments of separation or conflict. Green, deeply connected to nature, evokes youth, growth, freedom, and hope. It is a soothing color that brings a sense of peace and well-being, often associated with health and vitality. Light blue, a gentler shade, carries with it nobility, tenderness, and loyalty. It inspires creativity and focus, but at the same time, can express a quiet melancholy, reflecting the transient beauty of life and the unattainability of eternity. Interestingly, blue also has the power to stimulate thought. Purple brings together the opposing energies of warm red and cool blue, symbolizing restraint and humility. Its rich tones have long been associated with spirituality and aristocracy. Brown, though more grounded, represents order, balance, and reliability, offering a sense of maternal warmth and comfort. Lastly, black is often linked to the mysteries of night, death, and repentance, yet it also conveys elegance and achievement. Its deep, enigmatic quality serves as a reminder of all that is hidden and unknown, giving it a dual nature that is both sad and powerful.
The meanings of color differ in cultures and even situations, causing perception to be entirely subjective, unlike our reaction to physical measurements of colour. This connection between emotion and color has evolved into the color-in-context theory, which argues that the meaning of a color depends on its cultural and situational context, influencing how it affects memory and perception.
🖍️Enhancing learning through the power of color
The knowledge about effects, that colours have on us, can be integrated into lesson plans by strategically incorporating colors to enhance the learning experience.
For instance, using red or orange to highlight critical information, such as main ideas or important vocabulary, can effectively draw attention and boost memory retention. These warm colors are also excellent during brainstorming sessions or discussions.
In contrast, light blue creates a calm atmosphere ideal for reflective tasks like reading or writing, helping students focus better. Dark blue, however, signals importance and depth, making it perfect for introducing complex concepts or advanced topics.
Incorporating green into graphs, charts, or infographics can simplify complex data, reducing cognitive overload while directing focus to essential details.
Adding yellow to introductory slides, motivational quotes, or activity instructions can energize learners and create an upbeat start to the lesson.
In one study, participants exposed to the yellow color during exercises in an ESL lesson demonstrated significantly better performance in recalling English collocations than those who did not. Using color as a stimulus in the learning environment suggests that colors can enhance working memory, allowing students to better retain and recall vocabulary, particularly when learning complex language patterns like idiomatic expressions. Learners can improve their grasp of language nuances by associating color with specific phrases. Instructors are encouraged to incorporate colorful imagery into lessons to help students relate to and retain idiomatic expressions more effectively. To assist with this, I recommend reviewing the file I created, which contains a collection of 24 idioms related to color. This resource can support your teaching and enrich students' understanding of these expressions.
As research continues to explore the effects of color on memory and perception, it becomes increasingly clear that understanding how to harness color effectively can lead to significant advancements in education. All in all, color goes beyond mere visual experience — it plays a crucial role in shaping how we learn, communicate, and retain information, highlighting the importance of utilizing its influence to our advantage.
Additional information:
Here you can learn more about meaning of colour in different cultures: https://buzzwordcreative.co.uk/colour-semiotics-and-what-they-mean-in-other-cultures/
References:
Erin Anita Krahn. Decomposing the effect of color on memory: How red and blue affect memory differently.
Jahangeer Khan & Chengyu Liu. The impact of colors on human memory in learning English collocations: evidence from south Asian tertiary ESL students
Mariam Adawiah Dzulkifli, Muhammad Faiz Mustafar. The Influence of Colour on Memory Performance: A Review
https://techvet.com.ua/index.php/studentu/22-storinka-psykholoha/113-shcho-oznachaiut-kolory
http://olga-vishivka.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_12.html
https://www.shiftelearning.com/blog/how-do-colors-influence-learning
