Our brains make many assumptions about color. For example, we may perceive food of certain colors as tastier than others, even if two differently colored foods actually taste the same. Another example is how yellow could lift someone’s spirits even if they were having a bad day. We associate colors with certain things, which can lead us to perceive objects in specific ways simply because of the color.
This applies to temperature as well. Most people know that red means hot on a thermometer or sink handle, and blue means cold. So, people know how to adjust the temperature of objects even if colors are the only labels. Also, some colors just look warmer or colder to us, even though colors don’t guarantee that something will feel hot or cold.
Since we’ve learned to associate colors with certain temperatures, our brains may assume that all red objects are hot and all blue ones are cold, even if that’s not the case. Your brain may be doing this without you even realizing it.
Can Color Impact How We Perceive Temperature?
Research shows that red can induce warm feelings and blue can induce cold feelings because that’s what we’ve been taught. One particular study focused on the perception of the colors red and blue related to temperatures.
During the study, participants had to press the correct temperature with red and blue buttons in front of them labeled “warm” or “cold.” When the colors were opposite of what they normally were, people had a longer reaction time before pressing the button, even though the temperature was labeled. This proves that our brain has a hard time believing that blue could be “warm” and red could be “cold.”
The study explored touch in addition to sight. One of the tests asked participants to determine whether the red or blue object was warmer, even though they were the same. Surprisingly, people thought the blue object felt warmer to the touch than the red object, which is the opposite of what people would normally perceive. However, a similar test was run where a red or blue light shined on the person’s hand while touching an object. When people saw that their hand was red, they believed that that object was warmer than the object where their hand was blue.
Changing the hand color was likely more effective than just changing the object color because cold hands usually turn blue, while warm hands may have a hint of red. Thus, even though the two objects had the same temperature, seeing their hands turn blue made their brain think it was colder than it actually was.
The correlation between color and temperature has been so prominent that psychologists have called it the “hue-heat effect.” A 2020 study found that cool-colored lighting made people feel cooler, while warmer lighting made people feel warmer, proving the hue-heat effect.
Color Only Affects Temperature Sometimes
Studies like the one mentioned above prove that while colors can impact our temperature perception, they don’t always. There are lots of factors that play a role in how we perceive temperature, so sometimes, color isn’t enough to alter how something feels to us. The colors around you and your current body temperature could matter more than the object’s color.
Temperature Perceptions of Different Colors
Since color can influence how warm or cold we feel, we can examine individual colors and color schemes to see how they might be used to evoke warm or frigid temperatures.
Blue Evokes Cold Feelings
Blue is often associated with ice and low temperatures, so being exposed to lots of blue could make someone feel colder. We might not even realize this is happening, but our brains are programmed to associate blue with cold.
When things are labeled as cold, they often have a blue color to indicate that, such as the cold side of your shower temperature or the blue skin that cold cartoon characters get.
Red Evokes Warm Feelings
Red is usually on the opposite side of a temperature gauge, making people feel warm. It’s an energetic color that’s associated with fire and heat, which is why red objects might seem warm even if they’re not.
The color red is also known for evoking strong emotions, which could make your body feel warmer overall.
Warm Colors Are More Likely to Induce Warmth
Colors like red, orange, and yellow are called warm colors because of the warm, energetic vibes they provoke. These colors, especially when paired together, are more likely to make people feel warm than cool colors. Orange and yellow can be associated with fire like red is, making us think of something hot.
Using warm colors for lights can create a cozy atmosphere, making people feel warmer in the space. It can also make the objects in the room look more vibrant, potentially increasing their perceived temperature, too.
Cool Colors Are More Likely to Induce Cold
Cool colors like green, blue, and purple are likelier to have the opposite effects of warm colors. They don’t have as much energy, so they’re more likely to feel cold. Purple is a lot like blue where it feels cold because hands might turn purple when they’re cold. Blue might remind people of cool water, while green might evoke memories of shade from trees.
Cool lighting is especially cold and uncomfortable because it doesn’t provide an inviting, cozy vibe like warm lighting might, so it’s usually used in places where people need to focus, such as hospitals, offices, and schools.
Why Do Colors Alter Our Perception?
Colors have such a strong influence over how we perceive things, but why is that? It’s because our brains have learned to distinguish items by color. We relate certain colors to specific feelings, memories, and emotions, causing us to perceive things differently than we would if other colors were present.
This is most common in emotions. Colors cause us to feel in certain ways, such as blue relaxing us or yellow bringing us joy. While altering how we perceive temperatures is less common, it happens in a similar manner. When we’re exposed to the color red, our brains might tell us that the environment is warmer than it actually is, causing our bodies to feel warmer as a result. The same is true for blue feeling colder.
Some Colors Can Actually Change the Temperature
In some cases, colors can change the actual temperature. Overall, dark colors absorb light while light colors reflect it. So, if you wear dark colors or are in a room painted in darker colors, you will likely feel warmer. If you want to stay cooler, wearing a white shirt or painting a room white can help. These results are more than just your perception because this does change the temperature slightly.
While colors only affect the temperature a little bit, it’s definitely noticeable when the sun is shining down on you. After hanging out in the sun, a black shirt will feel much warmer to the touch than a white shirt. This concept exists in nature, too. It’s why penguins have black feathers on their backs but white on their fronts. They can choose which side faces the sun to either warm up or cool off.
So, next time you’re choosing the colors for something, such as picking an outfit or decorating a room, think about how colors may impact the temperature. Certain colors could make people feel warmer simply because of perception, while other colors will actually make someone feel a few degrees warmer. Color perception is a great way to help people feel warm and cozy or cool off, depending on the context.
How to Use Colors and Temperature to Your Advantage
Most people know that wearing a black sweatshirt outside might help raise their body heat. Yet, colors and temperatures can be used together in even more strategic ways than that.
While painting your bathroom white might keep it cool in the summer, it could leave you freezing when you step out of the shower in the winter. Instead of just going ahead and using light or dark colors in certain rooms, think about the lighting and structure of each room. Rooms with a lot of lighting are likely to warm up quickly, even in the winter. So, those are the rooms best suited for light colors. If there’s a room that’s constantly freezing due to minimal windows or more AC vents, a darker color might be better.
Of course, using warm colors in rooms you want to feel warm in and cool colors in rooms you want to feel cool in can also provide some benefits. Having red colors present can remind people of a cozy fireplace, making them feel warmer even without a temperature change. Blue could make people perceive rooms as colder, making it perfect for rooms that get too warm, such as the second floor of an old house.
Our minds love to play tricks on us when colors are involved, but by paying attention to how they make us feel, we can use the correlation between colors and temperatures to create the desired atmosphere in our surroundings.