Perceptual and Motor Skills, 1975,41, 271-278. @ Perceptual and Motor Skills 1975
COLOR PREFERENCES OF ART STUDENTS: SURFACE COLORS: 11' KARL O M 0 GoTZ AND KARIN GOTZ Academy of Pine Arts Dtisseldorf Summary.-In a previous study (Gdtz & Gotz, 1974b) the preferences of 14 surface colors were analyzed. While this set contained only one red, one blue, one yellow, etc., the color set of the present investigation was extended, and the preferences of 5 different reds, blues, yellows, etc. were analyzed. Between the five variations of red and yellow, respectively, the greatest affective differences were found, while the opposite was true for the 5 oranges, pinks, and grays. The most preferred colors are 2 reds, 2 blues, and 2 yellows; least preferred are a greenish yellow, a penetrating red-violet, and all 5 pinks. Significant sex differences were found for 8 colors.
In two previous studies on color preferences (Gotz & Gotz, 1974a, 1974b) the statistical significance of the frequency distribution over the categories of a given preference scale, separately for edch single color, had been tested. The first study was concerned with imagined colors, and in the second study the preferences of 14 basic surface c o l o ~ shad been investigated. The results of the former study indicated that for arc students only red and blue were "pleasant," while gray and pink were "unpleasant" colors, black and white were viewed as "neutral," and the distributions of all other colors listed were not statistically different from chance. The results of the study with actual colors were similar with the exception of yellow and orange, which ranged now among the highly preferred colors; and the only sex difference found was for green. The limitation of this latter investigation is obvious because our set of color stimuli consisted only of one red, one blue, one green, etc., and no prediction could be made about the affective trends of different reds, blues, greens, etc. The present study ascertained whether art students will show similar affective trends in preferences for five variations of a basic color or different trends.
METHOD Ss were students from the Academy of Fine Arts, Diisseldorf, as in our former study, 113 male and 77 female, mean age 23 yr. Ss had normal color vision and studied painting, sculpture, graphic-design, or art education. Testing was individual. The stimuli were a total of 57 different colors described by their corresponding Munsell no~ations(Munsell, 1973), and they are presented in Table 1. The manner in which five variations of a basic color were chosen arose from our artistic practice, and it was based upon conspicuous differences, taking account of distinct phenomenal "distances" between five variations of a basic color. As an example the verbal descriptions of five blues are given: Blue 1, a very dark broken cold blue; Blue 2, a well saturated deep ultramarine; Blue 3, a highly saturated cobalt; Blue 4, a saturated light green-blue; Blue 5, a very light milky sky-blue. The colors were represented by opaque pigmented films (non-glossy), and each color was mounted on a card, 6 X 8 un in size and 2 mm thick. The back of the color card was gray, Munsell notation N 5.5 (Y,0.1), and in the middle the appropriate color term (e.g., Blue 1) was printed. A cardboard, 75 x 120 'The authors wish to express appreciation to Ulrich Gebbers who collected the data.
TABLE 1 MUNSELLNOTATIONS OF 57 SURFACE COLORS Color
1
Red Blue Green Yellow Orange Violet Brown Ochre 1 , 2, 3 Beige 4, 5 Olive
Pink Gray Black White Note.-Color
2
3
4
2.5 GY 5 / 6 7.5 Y 4/4 2.5 G 4 / 6 5 RP 5/12* 5 RP 6/10 2.5 RP 5/10 N 4 (BG,0.1) N 4.5 (G,0.2) N 3 (R,0.1) N 1.75 N 9.5 notations with an asterisk are extrapolations of the Munsell standards, i.e., they are one step more saturated.
5
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cm in size, which was of the same gray as the back of the color cards, contained a 7-point preference scale and served as background against which Ss should view the colors. The scale was represented by 7 open boxes of the same gray, 2 cm high, and they were arranged in horizontal order. The boxes were not numbered; but on the left side of the scale a ( + ) was drawn in dark gray ink, and on the right a ( - ) , indicating the direction from "most pleasant" to "least pleasant." On the top of the middle box the word "neutral" was printed, separating the positive from the negative side of the scale. The administration of the test was the same as in our former study (GOU & Gotz, 1974b). The only difference was that Ss were not delivered the whole pack of 57 color cards all at once but successively in three separate packs. From each pack Ss had to choose their most preferred and their least preferred color and to place them under the appropriate category of the seven-point scale. Then they had to choose among the three most preferred colors the anchor card and to p!ace it under the first box, color side up, while the remaining two cards shou!d be laid into this box, color side down. The choice of the least preferred anchor card followed and it was placed under box seven, color side up, while the two remain~ngcolor cards came into this box, color side down. In this way the positive and the negarlve anchor were positioned, and the remaining 51 colors had to be ranked and put lnro the appropriate boxes, color side down to avoid color contrast effects.
RESULTS Fig. 1 shows the scale value (Median) and the dispersion measure (Transvariation Index) for each of the 57 colors for the total group ( N = 190). In our former study (Gotz & Gotz, 1947b) we used the interquartile range as a dispersion measure. But now we followed a suggestion by Lienert (1973) and took advantage of the long forgotten Transvariation Index (Gini, 1916), which seems more appropriate as a non-parametric dispersion measure, particularly in the case of very asymmetrical distributions. In Fig. 1 a low value of this index stands for a flat distribution, while a high value stands for a distribution with a high peak. In the case of bimodal distributions this measure is still quite useful. On the other hand, the median as scale value, can of course be misleading in bimodal distributions, therefore additional information about modes and their positions, and about probabilities of the chi squares for a difference between obtained frequency distribution of a color and chance deviation from equally distributed frequencies, and for a difference between the sexes, are given. As can be seen in Fig. 1 preferences for Red and Yellow show the greatest affective differences between their respective variations, while the opposite is true for the variations of Orange, Pink and Gray. Colors with a scale value in the vicinity of the neutral category are by no means neutral if their distributions are bimodal, as is the case with the following colors. The distribution of preferences for Violet 1 has two nearly equally high peaks, one over category 3, the other over 5 ( p < .01). Therefore, this color is for the total group neither a pleasant nor an unpleasant and not a neutral color. The distribution of preferences of Violet 2 is similar, the main peak is over category 3, and another is over 6 ( p < ,001). The distribution of choices of Brown 1 has equally many cases on both sides of the scale, it cannot be called a neutral color, because one peak is over category 5, and a high plateau is over 1, 2, and 3 ( p < .05). In the distri-
SCALE VALUE (MEDIAN)
FIG. 1. Art students' preferences for 57 surhce colors demonstrated by scale values (Median) and dispersion measures (Transvariation Index) for all 190 Ss
bution of choices of Brown 3 there are also nearly equally many cases on both sides of the scale, but one peak is over category 3, another is over 6 ( p < .01). With Brown 5 the distribution is similar. Olive 2 and 3 are not neutral too. The distribution of choices of Olive 3 has nearly equally many cases on both sides of the scale, but one peak is over category 3, the other is over 5 and 6 ( p .001). The distribution of choices of Olive 2 is similar with somewhat more cases on the negative side of the scale ( p < .01). The distribution of preferences for Ochre 3 is bimodal with the main peak over category 3, and a lower peak over 5 ( p < .001). The distributions of Beige 4 and 5 are bimodal, and there are somewhat more cases on the negative side of the scale. One peak is over category 4, the other is over 7 ( p < .02; p < .001). Here we can speak of
COLOR PREFERENCES OF ART STUDENTS: SURFACE COLORS: 11' KARL O M 0 GoTZ AND KARIN GOTZ Academy of Pine Arts Dtisseldorf Summary.-In a previous study (Gdtz & Gotz, 1974b) the preferences of 14 surface colors were analyzed. While this set contained only one red, one blue, one yellow, etc., the color set of the present investigation was extended, and the preferences of 5 different reds, blues, yellows, etc. were analyzed. Between the five variations of red and yellow, respectively, the greatest affective differences were found, while the opposite was true for the 5 oranges, pinks, and grays. The most preferred colors are 2 reds, 2 blues, and 2 yellows; least preferred are a greenish yellow, a penetrating red-violet, and all 5 pinks. Significant sex differences were found for 8 colors.
In two previous studies on color preferences (Gotz & Gotz, 1974a, 1974b) the statistical significance of the frequency distribution over the categories of a given preference scale, separately for edch single color, had been tested. The first study was concerned with imagined colors, and in the second study the preferences of 14 basic surface c o l o ~ shad been investigated. The results of the former study indicated that for arc students only red and blue were "pleasant," while gray and pink were "unpleasant" colors, black and white were viewed as "neutral," and the distributions of all other colors listed were not statistically different from chance. The results of the study with actual colors were similar with the exception of yellow and orange, which ranged now among the highly preferred colors; and the only sex difference found was for green. The limitation of this latter investigation is obvious because our set of color stimuli consisted only of one red, one blue, one green, etc., and no prediction could be made about the affective trends of different reds, blues, greens, etc. The present study ascertained whether art students will show similar affective trends in preferences for five variations of a basic color or different trends.
METHOD Ss were students from the Academy of Fine Arts, Diisseldorf, as in our former study, 113 male and 77 female, mean age 23 yr. Ss had normal color vision and studied painting, sculpture, graphic-design, or art education. Testing was individual. The stimuli were a total of 57 different colors described by their corresponding Munsell no~ations(Munsell, 1973), and they are presented in Table 1. The manner in which five variations of a basic color were chosen arose from our artistic practice, and it was based upon conspicuous differences, taking account of distinct phenomenal "distances" between five variations of a basic color. As an example the verbal descriptions of five blues are given: Blue 1, a very dark broken cold blue; Blue 2, a well saturated deep ultramarine; Blue 3, a highly saturated cobalt; Blue 4, a saturated light green-blue; Blue 5, a very light milky sky-blue. The colors were represented by opaque pigmented films (non-glossy), and each color was mounted on a card, 6 X 8 un in size and 2 mm thick. The back of the color card was gray, Munsell notation N 5.5 (Y,0.1), and in the middle the appropriate color term (e.g., Blue 1) was printed. A cardboard, 75 x 120 'The authors wish to express appreciation to Ulrich Gebbers who collected the data.
TABLE 1 MUNSELLNOTATIONS OF 57 SURFACE COLORS Color
1
Red Blue Green Yellow Orange Violet Brown Ochre 1 , 2, 3 Beige 4, 5 Olive
Pink Gray Black White Note.-Color
2
3
4
2.5 GY 5 / 6 7.5 Y 4/4 2.5 G 4 / 6 5 RP 5/12* 5 RP 6/10 2.5 RP 5/10 N 4 (BG,0.1) N 4.5 (G,0.2) N 3 (R,0.1) N 1.75 N 9.5 notations with an asterisk are extrapolations of the Munsell standards, i.e., they are one step more saturated.
5
COLOR PREFERENCES OF ART STUDENTS
273
cm in size, which was of the same gray as the back of the color cards, contained a 7-point preference scale and served as background against which Ss should view the colors. The scale was represented by 7 open boxes of the same gray, 2 cm high, and they were arranged in horizontal order. The boxes were not numbered; but on the left side of the scale a ( + ) was drawn in dark gray ink, and on the right a ( - ) , indicating the direction from "most pleasant" to "least pleasant." On the top of the middle box the word "neutral" was printed, separating the positive from the negative side of the scale. The administration of the test was the same as in our former study (GOU & Gotz, 1974b). The only difference was that Ss were not delivered the whole pack of 57 color cards all at once but successively in three separate packs. From each pack Ss had to choose their most preferred and their least preferred color and to place them under the appropriate category of the seven-point scale. Then they had to choose among the three most preferred colors the anchor card and to p!ace it under the first box, color side up, while the remaining two cards shou!d be laid into this box, color side down. The choice of the least preferred anchor card followed and it was placed under box seven, color side up, while the two remain~ngcolor cards came into this box, color side down. In this way the positive and the negarlve anchor were positioned, and the remaining 51 colors had to be ranked and put lnro the appropriate boxes, color side down to avoid color contrast effects.
RESULTS Fig. 1 shows the scale value (Median) and the dispersion measure (Transvariation Index) for each of the 57 colors for the total group ( N = 190). In our former study (Gotz & Gotz, 1947b) we used the interquartile range as a dispersion measure. But now we followed a suggestion by Lienert (1973) and took advantage of the long forgotten Transvariation Index (Gini, 1916), which seems more appropriate as a non-parametric dispersion measure, particularly in the case of very asymmetrical distributions. In Fig. 1 a low value of this index stands for a flat distribution, while a high value stands for a distribution with a high peak. In the case of bimodal distributions this measure is still quite useful. On the other hand, the median as scale value, can of course be misleading in bimodal distributions, therefore additional information about modes and their positions, and about probabilities of the chi squares for a difference between obtained frequency distribution of a color and chance deviation from equally distributed frequencies, and for a difference between the sexes, are given. As can be seen in Fig. 1 preferences for Red and Yellow show the greatest affective differences between their respective variations, while the opposite is true for the variations of Orange, Pink and Gray. Colors with a scale value in the vicinity of the neutral category are by no means neutral if their distributions are bimodal, as is the case with the following colors. The distribution of preferences for Violet 1 has two nearly equally high peaks, one over category 3, the other over 5 ( p < .01). Therefore, this color is for the total group neither a pleasant nor an unpleasant and not a neutral color. The distribution of preferences of Violet 2 is similar, the main peak is over category 3, and another is over 6 ( p < ,001). The distribution of choices of Brown 1 has equally many cases on both sides of the scale, it cannot be called a neutral color, because one peak is over category 5, and a high plateau is over 1, 2, and 3 ( p < .05). In the distri-
SCALE VALUE (MEDIAN)
FIG. 1. Art students' preferences for 57 surhce colors demonstrated by scale values (Median) and dispersion measures (Transvariation Index) for all 190 Ss
bution of choices of Brown 3 there are also nearly equally many cases on both sides of the scale, but one peak is over category 3, another is over 6 ( p < .01). With Brown 5 the distribution is similar. Olive 2 and 3 are not neutral too. The distribution of choices of Olive 3 has nearly equally many cases on both sides of the scale, but one peak is over category 3, the other is over 5 and 6 ( p .001). The distribution of choices of Olive 2 is similar with somewhat more cases on the negative side of the scale ( p < .01). The distribution of preferences for Ochre 3 is bimodal with the main peak over category 3, and a lower peak over 5 ( p < .001). The distributions of Beige 4 and 5 are bimodal, and there are somewhat more cases on the negative side of the scale. One peak is over category 4, the other is over 7 ( p < .02; p < .001). Here we can speak of
