A Historically Based Review of Empirical Work on Color and Psychological Functioning: Content, Methods, and Recommendations for Future Research
Elliot reviews empirical work on colour and psychological functioning, which dates back to the nineteenth century. Early research focused on five areas: arousal, physical strength, preference, time perception and attention. He sets out the relations observed in that research and its methodological weaknesses, traces later developments in content and method, and extends the review across the full breadth of the field. He closes with guidelines for interpreting existing work and conducting future work.
Elliot reviews empirical work on colour and psychological functioning, which dates back to the nineteenth century. Early research focused on five areas: arousal, physical strength, preference, time perception and attention. He sets out the relations observed in that research and its methodological weaknesses, traces later developments in content and method, and extends the review across the full breadth of the field. He closes with guidelines for interpreting existing work and conducting future work.
Written from the abstract as shown on the OpenAlex record, read 2026-11-04.
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Elliot, A. J. (2019). A Historically Based Review of Empirical Work on Color and Psychological Functioning: Content, Methods, and Recommendations for Future Research. Review of General Psychology, 23(2), 177-200. doi:10.1037/gpr0000170.