Color Me Productive: Red Boosts Focus, Study Finds

Blue, meanwhile, looks to enhance our creativity
By Drew Nelles,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 5, 2009 5:45 PM CST
Color Me Productive: Red Boosts Focus, Study Finds
"Blue is the color of the sky, the ocean, safety," the study's co-author says.   (Shutterstock)

The color red boosts performance on detail-oriented work, while blue enhances creativity, Wired reports. A new study primed subjects with the colors before assigning them different tasks, and the results appear to confirm previous research that links red to caution and attention. “Think about red, and what comes to mind: stop lights, stop signs, danger, ambulances,” one of the authors says.

As for blue, it’s “the color of the sky, the ocean, safety,” she says. “When their environment is safe, people are more explorative.” The author suggests surrounding yourself with one of the colors, depending on the work you’re doing at the time. “Colors are everywhere in our lives,” one psychologist says. “We should use them more carefully in all settings.” (More red stories.)

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