Jillian Ulrich

ENG 1201 - 513

25 October 2019
Annotated Bibliography

Alter, Adam. Drunk Tank Pink: And How Other Unexpected Forces That Shape How We

Think, Feel, Behave. , 2013. Print

In the book Drunk Tank Pink, written by Adam Alter in 2013 and offers insight on how color
can impact the way people think and behave. In the beginning of the book, he starts off by
explaining how the color drunk tank pink came to be. He explains that a researcher
Alexander Schass began an experiment in 1979 that included 153 men and two pieces of
cardboard. One piece of cardboard was painted blue, while the other was painted pink. He
studied the strength in the subjects by pushing down on their arms while they were staring
at the color. He found that all but two subjects had gotten weaker when looking at the pink
color, and that the blue color made them stronger. He again tested this experiment by
having the subjects squeeze a dynamometer which measured strength. He found again that
they were weaker when looking at the color pink. Since this significant finding, other
people have started to begin using the color pink. There have been many more studies with
colors proving that pink is not the only color that has an effect on people. In Japan, blue
streetlights were installed in high crime areas to help them look prettier and they found
that in these areas there was less crime, less littering, and a decrease in the number of
suicide attempts. Also, red was proven to increase blood flow and have responses in the
nervous system due to a study from Swiss psychologist Hermann Rorschach.

The writer's purpose for this book was to educate those around us that colors influence daily
behavior and can alter the way we think and feel. The audience for this book would be
those interested in psychology, color theory, people who are thinking about adopting the
color pink into their lives, or those who are thinking about color for holistic care. This
book provides many scientific studies and findings on many different colors and explains
the effects they might have in a real life situation. This is an informative and research
based book.

The author, Adam Alter, is an assistant professor at the Stern School of Business at New York
University and is in the marketing department. He is also affiliated with the NYU
psychology department. He has also earned his PhD in social psychology at Princeton
University. This makes him credible to write this book because he has a background in
psychology and also in marketing. Both of which colors have a huge impact on. Also,
 having his book published is also credible because the book had to go through a series of
people that approved it and checked to make sure the facts were proven.

This book is relevant to my research topic because I am studying emotion and how it affects
inmates. Inmates are known to have a high risk of violence and I am studying how color
might impact violence and other emotions. This book offers a lot of information on color
and the effects it has on people. I plan to use the information from Alexander Schass to
discuss how pink was used in a holding cell at the U.S. Naval Correctional Center, in
Seattle, Washington to show that those who first entered the jail in a pink room were
shown to be less agitated and angry within 15 minutes. Along with this study, I will
incorporate the studies done by public housing that showed less violent behavior when
they painted their interior pink, the bus companies that painted their seats pink to decrease
vandalism, the charity workers that wore pink to get more donations from people, and the
boxers who wore pink to make their opponents worker. This will continue to strengthen
my argument that colors have an impact on emotion and violence. I plan to use the blue
light study from Japan to show that blue has a calming effect on people and that it lowers
suicide rates, crime, and littering. Also, blue-green light is proven to trigger circadian
rhythm and is known to help those working night shifts and those who suffer from
seasonal affective disorder. Finally, I plan to use the red studies with schizophrenic
patients and tremoring which proved that red increases blood flow and has effects of the
nervous system, and the studies that showed seeing the color red lowers academic
performance because it activates the right hemisphere of the frontal cortex where
avoidance motivation is located.

Azeemi, Samina, et al. “Effect of Blue Colour On Anxiety In College Students .” Chinese

Medicine, vol. 9, 6 Mar. 2018, pp. 1–6.,

http://file.scirp.org/pdf/CM_2018030514460242.pdf.

In the article, “Effect of Blue Color On Anxiety In College Students,” found in the Journal of
Chinese Medicine was published on March 6, 2019 by Samina Azeemi, Hina Iram, Qanita
Younas, and Ameena Azeemi. In their journal article, they test the effects of
chromotherapy on students that have identified with having anxiety. They test this theory
of theirs by gathering 150 students and putting them into two groups. One group was
directed to drink blue water three times a day after meals for six weeks and watch blue
glass sheets before they go to bed. After the study, they concluded that the use of
chromotherapy is more beneficial than receiving no care at all. They found that in the
control group, there were reports of having worse anxiety the longer the study went on,
and saw that most reported that their anxiety was the same. In the group with
 chromotherapy, there were no reports of having worse anxiety, and many people reported
that it had improved. They noted that having daily sessions of chromotherapy, reduced
insomnia, headaches, and heart palpitations.

The writer's purpose for this article, was to find out if chromotherapy had an effect on patients
suffering with anxiety. The audience for this is the readers of the Chinese Medical journal,
the advisors and teachers within the department of physics, and those who might be
dealing with anxiety. This is an educational and informative piece of writing because they
conducted an experiment and found data that supported their hypothesis and informed
people that chromotherapy has beneficial effects on individuals.

The writers Samina Azeemi, Hina Iram, and Qanita Yonas are all in the Department of
Physics in the Government College Gulberg in Lahore, Pakistan. This is a college that
focuses on education and research where the students were able to write this informative
piece based off of their observations in their experiment. This makes them credible
because their work is being checked by the faculty of this school to make sure their
findings are correct, and that their experiment followed all of the guidelines. Ameena
Azeemi is part of CMH Lahore Medical College in Lahore, Pakistan. This makes her
credible because she has a background in medical studies. Also, they are credible because
the article was published in the Journal of Chinese Medicine, which is a highly respected
journal that focuses on reliable information and studies that are scholarly.

The article was relevant for me because I am looking to find studies performed that use
certain colors at certain times of the day. I also narrowed my studies to anxiety and
depression studies and this article fits into both things I am looking for. I will use the
information that chromotherapy helps reduce insomnia, heart palpitations, and headaches
along with the observation that 80 percent of them reported having improvement within
the first two weeks of treatment. The use of the chromotized blue water was used within
the chromotherapy studies which means the color blue is beneficial when it comes to
reducing anxiety within college students. I plan to use this information to make the
argument that the use of color in certain times of the day can help to reduce anxiety and
improve their health.

Buether, Axel. “The Language Of Color - Effects On Our Experience And Behavior .”

Youtube.com, TEDxKielUniversity, 18 Dec. 2017,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCNWPu0ScjA.

In the video, “The Language Of Color,” performed by Axel Buether, was found on a Ted Talk on
youtube.com and was uploaded on December 18, 2017. He starts off the video arguing that there
is a connection between color and the mind and that color has its own language. He studied this
theory of his using the basic colors such as red, green, blue, yellow, violet, orange, pink, brown,
silver, and gold. When forming his experiment on color language, he gathered 500 subjects and
asked them to wear one color for 24 hours while interacting with others and to document their
behavior. When the study was concluded, he noticed that many of the colors had different
meanings. Grey made people depressed and moody, red made people feel powerful and
seductive, Black made them feel cool and invisible, green made them feel playful and
regenerated, etc. He concluded by putting together color memory maps that showed all of the
different emotions each individual felt when wearing that color.

The performers purpose for this video was to inform others on his findings from his experiment
and educate them on how the brain might perceive different colors. The audience for this piece
would be those who are professors at other universities that teach psychology, learning
psychology, and those who are interested in learning about color. This video is very educational
and is meant to educate others that there is a language associated with color.

The performer Axel Buether, works at the Faculty of Design and Art of the University of
Wuppertal as a professor. Buether focuses on visual communication and is considered one of the
world’s leading color experts and the most renowned color researcher in German. This makes
him credible because his background in color psychology is huge and has also completed many
studies on the different messages that colors send. This video is also credible because it is current
and up to date on information and has a lot of useful information that can be used to help me
write my research paper.

This article is relevant to me because I am focusing on finding the messages that each color
sends. I will use the information from his study to show that each color might have a different
mental effect on an individual and also relate it to reduce the feelings of anxiety and depression.
Also, I hoped to find a study using colors at certain times of the day, and this one will fill the
criteria for that. I can also use this information to conclude that colors have a lasting impact on
individuals and that others should be more educated on this topic.

Causse, Jean Gabriel.“The Power Of Color.” Youtube.com, TEDxDunkerque, 4 Feb. 2015,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nxpl7judCwY.

In the video, “The Power Of Color,” performed by Jean Gabriel Causse, was found on an
independent Ted Talk on youtube.com and was uploaded on February 4, 2015. During the
video, he makes many references to studies that were performed to find which color
 worked best for which brand. He gave studies on Google, P&G laundry detergent,
classroom studies, and wine studies. In these studies, Google found that changing the
shade of blue will increase the amount of clicks that their trade link gets by 200 million.
P&G found that out of red, yellow, and blue detergent, blue was the one that provided the
best wash for the laundry. They found that the subjects who used yellow felt that their
laundry was not clean, and those who used red felt that it damaged the laundry because it
was too powerful. When concluding this study, he made the connection that most
detergent companies in today’s world use a blue logo because of these results. Wine
studies revealed that the subjects that saw a red wine reported tasting strawberries and
leather, while a white wine tasted like lemon and butter. Classrooms in England were
painted pink to see what the effect might be on the behavior of children. They found that
when the room was pink, the children’s drawings were more positive and showed happier
pictures than when the room was not pink. Along with the studies, he also mentioned the
effect that certain colors can have on the brain.

The authors performance for this video was to inform others that color has a lot to do with the
success of brands and that color can alter the mind. The audience for this video would be
businesses trying to increase sales, customers, and those who are interested in color
branding. This video is very educational because it offers many studies to back up his
information and informs others on what effects some colors have and the difference it
makes in sales.

The performer Jean Gabriel Causse, has a long background in business and color theory. He
graduated from the School of Advertising, created the textile brand Bluebretzel, and
published two books called The Amazing Power of Colors and The Crayons of Color.
Along with these accomplishments, he is known to specialize in color. This makes him
credible because his background in color and business is what his whole video is about. In
order to write several books about color, there has to be extensive knowledge in the field.

This article is relevant to me because I am looking to find what message each color send and
how it can impact a business. I plan to use the studies that were provided in the video
about the colors brands use to make my argument stronger and to prove that they can
either increase or decrease sales. He also mentioned that colors had certain messages and
effects on the brain. I will use the information that red is known to increase focus, pink is
euphoric and relaxing, and working in a white environment will decrease productivity and
increase burnout. I will use these statements when I am talking about how using certain
colors at certain times can have an effect on the body. This will also strengthen that
argument and provide more data showing that colors do have an effect on the brain.
 Cherry, Kendra. “Can Color Affect Your Mood and Behavior?” Verywell Mind, Verywell

Mind, 17 July 2019, https://www.verywellmind.com/color-psychology-2795824.

In the article “Can Color Affect Your Mood and Behavior,” found on Verrywellmind.com
was written on July 17, 2019 by Kendra Cherry, who is an educational consultant and
medically reviewed by Dr. Steven Gans. They write that color may have an effect on the
health of individuals and that it also can affect the way consumers go about buying
different products. Using warm colors, blue, black, and red, they provide studies proving
that these colors make an impact on health. These studies show that the color red
improved the energy of individuals and allowed them to move at a quicker pace than those
who were not wearing red. Studies also show that the color blue gives off a soothing effect
and when placed in a street light, there is less crime reported. The color of clothing and
cars is brought up and is said to show how others want to be perceived. For instance, if an
individual is interested in buying a red car, it might mean that they want to be noticed
because the color red gives off a powerful and confident feeling. If an individual is
interested in buying a blue car, they might be thinking about their family because the color
blue gives off a stable and safe feeling. Also, when looking at clothing, they note that
younger people are more likely to wear bright, colorful clothing because they want
attention vs. people who are older and do not want to be noticed as much. They are said to
be wearing traditional colors such as white, grey, black.

The writer's purpose for this article was to inform the audience that color influences many
decisions in our daily lives and that more research needs to be conducted to learn more about the
topic. The audience is anyone who is interested in psychology, color theory, or those interested
in learning about color effects. This is an informative piece because they listed many studies and
experiments that were conducted to back up their information.

The writer Kendra Cherry is an educational consultant and is devoted to helping students learn
more about psychology. This makes her credible because she has a background in psychology
and also helps to educate, which means she is very knowledgeable about the topic. The article is
reviewed by Dr. Steven Gans who is a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He
studies the recovery of patients with mental illness and is certified by the American Board of
Psychiatry and Neurology. The article is current because it was written within the last few
months and states that it has been updated.

This article was relevant to me because I am looking for the different messages that colors have
and how it may affect businesses. I will use the information about the color of cars to show that
there is an effect on businesses. I will also use the information about the health effects in my
paper and base them around people with anxiety and depression. Showing that there might be
certain colors that could help them. Finally, I will tie it together to state that color has an effect
on an individual's mentality.

Dupont, Alyssa Mary, "An Examination Of Chain Restaurants Exterior Colors And Logo Colors

" (2014). Honors Theses and Capstones. 169. https://scholars.unh.edu/honors/169

The thesis, “An Examination Of Chain Restaurants Exterior Colors And Logo Colors,” written
by Alyssa Dupont was found on scholars.unh.edu and was published in the spring of
2014. During her thesis she explains that there are two types of color. Warm colors
include red, orange, yellow, and brown. Cool colors include blue, green, pink, indigo,
violet, and royalty. Dupont proceeds to claim that each of these colors symbolize a
different emotion. Red symbolizes love, power, and ambition. Orange symbolizes energy,
fire, and enthusiasm. Yellow symbolizes joy, happiness, and optimism. Brown
symbolizes boldness, roughness, and stability. Blue symbolizes trust, wisdom,
dependability. Green symbolizes growth, generosity, and intelligence. Pink symbolizes
innocence, tranquility, and admiration. Indigo symbolizes spirituality and intuition.
Violet symbolizes magic. Finally, royalty symbolizes envy, misery, sensuality. Further
into the thesis, she then test two hypotheses to find out colors are used the most on the
exterior of restaurants and if the colors used are warm or cool colors. For her first
hypothesis, she finds that the top six most common exterior colors are red, white, yellow,
black, green and blue. For her second hypothesis, she finds that 67% of restaurants used
warm colors in their exterior and in their logos. She then concludes that red is the most
popular color used in restaurants.

The author’s purpose for this thesis was to prove find out whether colors played a role in
restaurants exterior color and logs. She also wanted to inform her audience that they do
play a role in the colors that restaurants chose and that brands should take this into
consideration when choosing colors for paint and logos. The audience for this theses
would be those reviewing the paper at the University of New Hampshire, her peers, her
faculty sponsor, those in the marketing business, those choosing logos for their
restaurants, and those looking for more information on how colors influence logos.

The author Alyssa Dupont attended the University of New Hampshire and studied business and
economics. This was an honors thesis that she wrote to graduate college. This makes her
credible because she has a background in business and conducted sufficient research to
provide statistics and information about her topic. Also, this paper is credible because it
was accepted by an authorized administrator of the University of New Hampshire
 Scholars’ Repository as an honors thesis. Also, the information is posted on the
university's website which means the information must be credible.

This article is relevant to me because I hoped to study the message that each color sends and how
it can affect business. I will use the information in the beginning of the thesis when she
mentions each color and the symbol that is associated with it. This will give me more
information when writing my paper, and allow me to go more in depth to prove that each
color sends a specific emotion and symbol. I will also use the information about the six
most used colors in restaurants exterior such as red, white, yellow, black, green, and blue.
This will help me to prove that there is a strategic way that restaurants get customers to
come into their store. This will also prove that colors can be used to benefit people.
Finally, I will use the information that more warm colors are used to prove the statement
above that there are ways to improve business sales and influence customers.

Ridgway, Jessica Lee. Brand personality: consumer's perceptions of color used in brand logos.

Diss. University of Missouri--Columbia, 2011.

https://mospace.umsystem.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/10355/14966/research.pdf?sequen

ce=2&isAllowed

The thesis, “Brand Personality: customer’s perceptions of color used in brand logos,” written by
Jessica Ridgway was found on mospace.umsystem.edu and was published in May 2011.
She forms three hypotheses to find out if color has an impact on the massage company
logos send. During her first hypothesis, she studies whether or not customers associate
colors with different feelings. She found that this was true and they associate blue with
trustworthiness, red with passion, green with health, pink with fun, yellow with energy,
and purple with playfulness. In her second hypothesis, she tested if colors were
associated with personality traits. After her study, she found they were associated with
personality traits. Blue was tied to confidence, green was tied to humbleness, pink was
tied to young, red was tied to daring, yellow was tied to cheerful, and purple was tied to
confidence as well. Finally, in her third hypothesis, she studied whether or not feeling
and personality traits were alike, and if the company logos were considered appropriate
by the subjects. The subjects said that blue, green, red and yellow were considered
appropriate colors for logs. They also said that pink and purple were considered
inappropriate. At the end of her studies she concluded that colors affect marketing and
brands.
The author's purpose for this paper was to show that there is a positive correlation between color
use and the success of brands. The audience for this paper would be her professor, peers
in her class, those who work for marketing, and those who are interested in learning
about this topic. The paper was very educational and informative on proving that colors
influence customers. Also, it educates those in the marketing business on what colors
have what effect and how it can be used to their advantage to make their company
stronger.

The author for the thesis is Jessica Ridgway who attended the University of Missouri and wrote
this thesis in order to graduate. This makes her credible to write this paper because the
paper has been accepted by her thesis committee and contains studies and evidence that
she conducted herself. Conducting experiments first hand allows for credibility because it
gives them experience in the field. Also, the article has been published on the MOspace
which is an online site for scholarly work at the University.

This article is relevant to me because during my research paper I hope to write about each
message that color sends and how it may affect businesses. This paper contains
information about both of these topics and can be very useful to me. I plan to use the
information in hypothesis one and two to elaborate on the different messages that colors
send. I will use the information from hypothesis three to explain the impact it has on
different businesses. Also, along with the conclusions, I will include the data and
statistics that she found while researching.