Research On Color Preference And Color Metaphor Representation Of College Students

Color is an important consideration in routine activities, such as advertising design,shopping. It even plays a decisive role in many decision-making processes. Therefore,it is of great significance to explore the color preference and its processing mechanism.The research was divided into two parts: In Study 1, 80 college students (40 boys and 40 girls) were selected as subjects, and we used 2 (gender: male, female)×6 (color:black, white, red, yellow, blue, green) mixed experimental design to explore color preference between male and female college students, the dependent variable is color sorting grade. The results showed that: the main effect of color is significant, college students have different preferences for colors; the interaction between gender and color is significant, male and female college students' preferences for colors are different. In Study 2, we used 2 (gender: male, female)×2 (color series: warm color, cool color)×2 (lexical attribute: positive, negative) mixed experimental design, the dependent variable is accurate rate and reaction time. The results showed that the main effect of color series and lexical attribute are significant, compared to the cool and negative tasks,reaction time in the warm and positive tasks is shorter. The interaction between color series and lexical attribute is significant. Compared to the other two tasks, the accurate rate of "warm-positive" and "cool-negative" is higher, response time is shorter; the interaction of gender, color series, lexical attribute are significant, girls' response in the"warm-negative" and "cool-positive" tasks is better.Research conclusions:(1) Male college students' preference for color is ranked from white to black, blue,green, yellow and red color; female college students' preference for color is ranked from white to green, red, yellow, black, blue. On average, the overall college students'preference for color is ranked from white to black, green, blue, red, yellow;(2) Male college students' preference for color series is ranked from neutral color to cool color and warm color; to female college students, color preferences are more diversified. On average, the overall college students' preference for color series is ranked from neutral color to cool color and warm color;(3) "warm-positive", "cool-negative" metaphorical representations exist in college students; but girls are more sensitive to "warm-negative" and "cool-positive" tasks.