Effect of Colours on Perception and Cognition of Students Belonging to Two Different Age Groups: A Cross-sectional Study
Published: August 1, 2021 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.7860/JCDR/2021/47280.15246
Shubham Gupta Lalbabuprasad, Anita Rahul Gune
1. Third Year MBBS Student, Undergraduate, Department of Anatomy, D.Y. Patil Medical College, D. Y. Patil Education Society (Deemed University), Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India.
2. Associate Professor, Department of Anatomy, D.Y. Patil Medical College, D. Y. Patil Education Society (Deemed University), Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India.
Correspondence
Dr. Anita Rahul Gune,
Associate Professor, Department of Anatomy, D.Y. Patil Medical College, D.Y. Patil Education Society (Deemed University), Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India.
E-mail: anitargune@gmail.com
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.
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