WEBVTT

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The way

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in which we talk about the psychology
of color also fall

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into the category of human invention,
if not fake news.

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And unfortunately,
there is very little research

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about how the brain actually responds
to color.

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Most color psychology, quote unquote,

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“facts” are not based in science.

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And to understand our responses
to color, it's crucial

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to look at three different ways
color affects our psychology.

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The first is our biological response.

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And we do know a bit about how we respond

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biologically, for example, to red objects.

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They inspire fear and sexual desire
in scientific studies that have been done.

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We also know some things about how

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we respond biologically to blue light.

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It can help us with everything
from seasonal affective disorder

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to issues with our internal clocks
to problems with concentration.

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The second is our cultural response.

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For example, in the West,
blue is by far and away

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the favorite color
and yellow, the least favorite color.

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But if you move to the East, yellow
climbed to the top of the charts.

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And these differences
have to do with different

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cultural associations with various colors.

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And the third is our personal association
with color.

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So if you happen to have gone to prison
and were put in a pink cell,

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you probably have a pretty
negative association with pink.

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But if you had one of your best nights
of your life in this beautiful

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pink restaurant, you probably have
a very positive association.

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So don't be fooled by claims like peach

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increases the appetite or green calms
you or yellow uplifts you.

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These might be true for some people
whose personal, cultural

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and biological responses line
up to support these claims, but test a

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different group of people across the globe
or even in the same family,

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and you might find completely different
results.

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It's not to say
that color doesn't affect people.

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It of course, affects people.

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And often it's the same color
can affect people all at once.

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For example, if you put a group of people
in a fluorescent

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yellow room
with yellow floor walls and ceilings,

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I'm sure that group of people
is going to feel something.

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But whether everyone in the room
feels the same thing

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for the same reasons
is at this point very hard to prove.