Context specificity of implicit preferences: the case of human preference for red.
Three experiments were conducted on color preference using a spontaneous selection paradigm with infant participants. Experiment 1 demonstrated that participants prefer red over green in a friendly laboratory environment. Experiment 2 demonstrated that participants' preference for red varies with the context in which the color is presented: Red is preferred in a hospitable context (following a happy face), but not in a hostile context (following an angry face). The opposite pattern was found for the control color green. Experiment 3 used the same context manipulation, but a second control color, gray, was added to clearly examine whether context affects preference for red only. As predicted, given a second alternative choice, context-dependent preference for red, but not green or gray, was found. These results represent the first evidence of context moderation in the color preference literature.
Maier
Markus A
MA
Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-2500, USA. maamaier@notes.cc.sunysb.edu
Barchfeld
Petra
P
Elliot
Andrew J
AJ
Pekrun
Reinhard
R
D000339:Affect; D001070:Appetitive Behavior; D001245:Association Learning; D001288:Attention; D002755:Choice Behavior; D003118:Color Perception; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological; D004644:Emotions; D005149:Facial Expression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual; D002666:Psychology, Child; D012931:Social Environment