Connor, Z.
O'Connor reviews colour psychology and colour therapy as they appear in popular culture, where mass media and many websites link colour to a range of psychological, biological and behavioural effects. These sources often claim, for example, that red is stimulating and blue is calming. Empirical evidence is rarely cited, and when it is, it often refers to findings that are overgeneralised or out of date. The paper examines these claims against the research.
O'Connor reviews colour psychology and colour therapy as they appear in popular culture, where mass media and many websites link colour to a range of psychological, biological and behavioural effects. These sources often claim, for example, that red is stimulating and blue is calming. Empirical evidence is rarely cited, and when it is, it often refers to findings that are overgeneralised or out of date. The paper examines these claims against the research.
Written from the abstract as shown on the OpenAlex record, read 2026-11-04.
What our sources record
Recorded when this source was checked, figures included, with page references and quotation marks removed.
(2011). Colour psychology and colour therapy: Caveat emptor. Color Research & Application, 36(3), 229-234. doi:10.1002/col.20597.