We know emotions affect how we see the world around us. But does it also affect color perception? Christopher Thorstenson, Adam Pazda, and Andrew Elliot conduct experiments to test this.
In one study, 127 undergraduates were randomly assigned to watch a film to generate sadness, or a stand up comedy to generate amusement. After watching their assigned clip, the participants were shown 48 consecutive color patches and asked to determine whether each patch was yellow, green, blue, or red. The participants who watched the sad movie were less accurate at identifying colors than the participants who watched the stand up comedy, but only in identifying colors along the blue-yellow axis. There was no difference in identifying colors along the red-green axis.
Another study with 130 undergraduates had the same results. Participants that watched the sad film were less accurate at decoding colors along the blue-yellow axis that participants shown the neutral film. And like before, only the blue-yellow axis was impaired. There was no difference in the red-green axis.
The scientists were surprised by these results, as they were nowhere near what they predicted. But they think this study might give clues for the reason for the effect in neurotransmitter function.
They need to do more research before they provide a final conclusion to this study. We know color perception along the blue-yellow axis is linked to the neurotransmitter dopamine.
For more information, go to http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/09/150902112006.htm
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