The effect of red on avoidance behavior in achievement contexts.

Full Abstract

This research tests whether the perception of red in an achievement context evokes avoidance behavior without conscious awareness and also examines the context specificity of the hypothesized red effect. In Experiment 1, participants were briefly shown red or green on the cover of an analogies test that they would ostensibly take (an achievement context) or rate on likability of (a nonachievement context) in an adjacent lab. Those shown red, relative to those shown green, knocked fewer times on the door of the adjacent lab in the achievement context; no red-green difference in knocking was observed in the nonachievement context. In Experiment 2, participants were briefly shown red, green, or gray on the cover of an IQ test that they would ostensibly take. Those shown red moved their body away from the test cover to a greater degree than did those shown green or gray. This research contributes to incipient work on color psychology and to the more established literature on the automatic link between evaluation and behavior.

Author information

Author/s: Elliot, Andrew J (AJ); Maier, Markus A (MA); Binser, Martin J (MJ); Friedman, Ron (R); Pekrun, Reinhard (R);

Affiliation: Department of Clinical and Social Sciences in Psychology, Meliora Hall, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627, USA. andye(-atsign-)psych.rochester.edu

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Comparative Study; Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Personality and social psychology bulletin (Pers Soc Psychol Bull), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2009-Mar; vol 35 (issue 3) : pp 365-75

Dates: Created 2009/02/19; Completed 2009/05/29;

PMID: 19223458, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 5/29/2009, IMS Date: )

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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