Effect of Colours on Perception and Cognition of Students Belonging to Two Different Age Groups: A Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Introduction: Colour is believed to stimulate senses. It improves the attention span and helps in developing cognitive abilities and hence, can be beneficial in the educational set-up. There is a void in literature about usefulness of colours in the education settings in India. Aim: This study was conducted to assess students’ preference, perception, emotional responses, memory, and cognition related to colours. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study conducted over a period of two months (January-February 2018) comprised of 300 students divided into two equal groups: Group A with 13 to 18 years of age, Group B with 19 to 25 years of age. On four consecutive days, both the groups were exposed to the same power point slide with some words highlighted with a single colour (red: material related to discovery of earth’s polarity, blue: material related to arbovirus, yellow: material related to pathophysiology of diabetes mellitus, or green: material related to Mangalyan). At the end of the fourth session, a validated questionnaire was used to evaluate the students’ perceptions and responses to various colours. The data were analysed using R software v 3.6.1. The Kruskal-Wallis test was used to find significant differences within the group, p<0.05. Results: In group A, the highest mean preference was observed for the colour red (mean=8.02±2.83; p=2.20e-16), blue was found to be a soothing colour (n=65) and yellow helped in better recollection of facts (n=44). In contrast, in group B, the highest mean preference was observed for the colour blue (mean=8.35±3.59; p=5.90e-15). Yellow was considered a more soothing colour (n=43), and black helped in better recollection (n=41). Conclusion: Colour perception varies in different age groups. It also affects emotions, memory, and influences mood disposition.