Evolution of Color Psychology
Color psychology has made great developments over the course of history, from philosophical musings to the more scientifically-based study we know today. A transition has been made from the early reflection of how color is perceived to the current well-researched studies of how color can affect consumers and their behavior.
Color psychology first originated as the musings of an old German artist, poet, and politician Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. In 1810, he published The Theory of Colour, an exploration on the nature, function, and structure of color. Goethe explored societal views of color and their effect on people. He examined how the primary colors, red, yellow, and blue, could be mixed and what their different outcomes meant. 
Here are a few examples of his rather cryptic descriptions:
Yellow
“When a yellow colour is communicated to dull and coarse surfaces such as common cloth, felt, or the like, on which it does not appear with full energy, the disagreeable effect alluded to is apparent. By a slight and scarcely perceptible change, the beautiful impression of fire and gold is transformed into one not undeserving the epithet foul; and the colour of honour and joy reversed to that of ignominy and aversion.”
Goethe provides an interesting description of what different yellows can do. This is universal across all colors, being that different tints, shades, and saturations can change what the color means and how it makes a person feel.
Red
“The effect of this colour is as peculiar as its nature. It conveys an impression of gravity and dignity, and at the same time of grace and attractiveness. The first in its dark deep state, the latter in its light attenuated tint; and thus the dignity of age and the amiableness of youth may adorn itself with degrees of the same hue.”
Again this interpretation can be applied to how people still feel about red; some feel passionate and sensual, while it’s lighter tints of pink bring feelings of innocence and delicateness.
Blue
“This colour has a peculiar and almost indescribable effect on the eye. As a hue it is powerful -- but it is on the negative side, and in its highest purity is, and it were, a stimulating negation. Its appearance, then, is a kind of contradiction between excitement and repose.”
Same principles apply to blue as well. When people are asked what blue makes them feel, certain blues elicit feelings of confidence while others can bring gloominess and melancholy.
Although these descriptions are just the beginnings of how he examined different hues, Goethe was able to make some remarkable observations. Without any type of scientific analysis he was able to make the connection between green and a feeling of calmness. As he states in the following passage:
“The eye experiences a distinctly grateful impression from this colour. If the two elementary colours [blue and yellow] are mixed in perfect equality so that neither predominates, the eye and the mind repose on the result of this junction as upon a simple colour. The beholder has neither the wish nor the power to imagine a state beyond it. Hence for rooms to live in constantly, the green colour is most generally selected.”
The color green has since been studied and it is was found to be the most preferred room color by both males and females.
The idea that colors can elicit specific emotional responses has shifted from the main component of color psychology to a laughable causation now days. The study of color psychology has taken on a much more objective approach as it has moved to be a major part of marketing and branding. Because the study of emotions and color can be so subjective, most color psychologists have strayed away from the simple causation approach. There are simply too many variables that can effect on different hues can make a person feel. A Psychology Today article expressed this concern “the truth of the matter is color is too dependent on personal experiences to universally translated to specific feelings.” It then goes on to state gender, upbringing, and cultural norms as reasons for different perceptions.
Even so, it is hard to deny that certain colors lend themselves to certain products more easily than others. Companies take advantage of this concept regularly, stating that color choice for branding is essentially based on how they want the brand’s personality to be perceived. Picking the right color for a brand is essentially deciding the feeling, mood, and image of the brand. For example if a tool company is creating a new line of power tools, they are likely to design with dark, bold colors rather than light, pastel colors. This is partially do to the fact that men tend to prefer shades of colors, whereas women prefer tints of colors, and the power tool industry mainly caters to men. Softer colors in this case also do not give off the tough, powerful vibe a tool company would be trying to possess. But if you were branding for a crafting company, softer, pastels would be a more appropriate choice than dark, bold colors due to the main crafting demographics preferences. Many components factor into branding for a company, but color is key. That’s why modern color psychology lends itself so well to marketing.
For further readings on this subject, check out these articles:
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