Color Red And Test Performance Research

EFFECTS OF COLOR ON TEST PERFORMANCE

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Effects of Color On Test Performance
Taylor Alderson, Ovsanna Balian, Jacqueline Christopher, Diana Macias Pasadena City College

EFFECTS OF COLOR ON TEST PERFORMANCE Abstract The present experiment examined the consequences of exposure to the color red and its effects on achievement in test performance. In this study the ink color used to print a test was manipulated to determine the causal relationship between exposure to the color red and test

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performance. Results showed the tests printed in red ink produced significantly lower scores than the tests printed in green, blue, and black ink. This effect was especially pronounced between the green and red test results. This work suggests
that color does have an affect on achievement in test performance. Therefore alerting educators to the fact that when they expose their students to certain colors durning an examine they are putting them at a disadvantage and contributing to a lower performance. Keywords: test performance, effects of color, red, achievement

EFFECTS OF COLOR ON TEST PERFORMANCE

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Effects of the Color Red on Achievement In Test Performance Most educators are unaware that exposure to certain colors have a negative psychological impact on test performance. Frequently colored paper is used in an attempt to curb cheating. Most colors are decided on with no forethought of any consequence color has on the feelings, attitudes, behavior or performance of the student. Theoretical research suggests that color vision evolved in humans enabling us to adapt and survive the changing environment, and that over time and through repetition, the unconscious mind developed conditioned responses or “subtle pairings” (Elliot, Maier, Moller, Friedman, & Reinhardt, 2007) with certain colors. Some of these colors produce an inhibiting cautionary response. A good example of how humans respond to color is to the color red, which often signals danger or avoidance. Given the omnipresence of color in our everyday lives, it is not surprising that a great deal of research has been conducted on this topic. For example, color and the application of color to achieve specific responses termed, “functional color” (Fordham and Hayes 2009) is a technique widely used in marketing on product design, retail store wall color, and menu pages. In these cases color is manipulated with deliberate application to perform a desired function in contrast to the simply application of color for aesthetics. The ability of different colors to affect both our emotional, behavioral, and performance levels makes it clear that the colors we are exposed to has a powerful impact on our pysche. Several experiments have addressed the impact of color paper and achievement in test performance. Although there are some inconsistent studies, most find that color does have an impact on test performance.

EFFECTS OF COLOR ON TEST PERFORMANCE In their study Fordham, and Hayes (2009) examined a hypothesis that exposure to both pastel and primary colored paper has a negative affect on achievement in test performance. Their study was a replication experiment involving undergraduate principal of accounting students. The only change form the original experiment was the replacement of primary colored paper with pastel colored paper. Participants were assigned to one of five experimental conditions: the yellow, green, blue, pink, and the white conditions. Black ink was used for all

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versions.
The quiz scores were the dependent variable and the colored paper was the independent variable. Participants were given ten-point quizzes over a ten year period involving five instructors and 4,000 test scores. There findings were that students who tested in the white condition performed significantly better than students under the yellow and red conditions. Students with the yellow condition and the red condition performed better than students with the blue condition. They concluded that due to some inconsistencies found during their own research on this topic that more research needed to be done. One example of an inconsistent finding was an experiment conducted by ILaint, Akers, and Hodge (2008). Their study was a replicate experiment involving two conditions. The first condition included the primary colors: the red, yellow, blue, and green condition. The second included the pastel condition: the yellow, green, blue, and pink condition. The participants were 346 male and 230 female undergraduate students. Participants were given a 40 question multiply choice exam based on text book and lecture. Tests were printed on one of the eight conditions including four primary colors and four pastel colors. The number of questions correct was the dependent variable and the colored paper condition as the independent variable. Their findings for the primary color conditions were that students did perform better on white exams than on

EFFECTS OF COLOR ON TEST PERFORMANCE vividly
colored paper. Within the primary condition the overall student performance being the worst on blue paper. What they concluded was the effected sizes were so small and given so many contradictions across other studies that there were no meaningful or consistent effects. However most research supports a causal relationship between color and achievement in

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test performance.
Although exposure to all primary colors including blue, green and yellow seem to show significantly lower test scores, the color red seems to have the most negative impact on test scores. In 2007, Elliot’s study of the effects of color on one form of psychological functioning: performance in achievement (i.e., context in which competence is evaluated) examined a hypothesis regarding the influence of red on color performance and tested the hypothesis that red undermines performance on achievement tasks. Elliot’s experimental procedure included 71 male and female undergraduate students. They had to be native english speakers and not color blind. The mean age was 18 to 44. Participants were assigned to one of three experimental conditions: the red, green, or black (neutral) condition. Anagram performance served as the dependent variable and the color exposure was the independent variable. Participants were tested individually by an experimenter who was blind to participants, conditions, and the experimental hypothesis. The color green was chosen because green and red are considered contrasting colors in many color models where green carries a signal for “go” in contrast to red which is a signal for “stop”. They used black as a achromatic (i.e., neutral) color. When participants arrived they were given verbal directions for a five letter single solution anagram. The test was distributed in an envelope with a colored number hand written on the front.
Participants were instructed to check the number before starting the test. The experimental conditions were carried out by placing a red number on the participants envelope. After the

EFFECTS OF COLOR ON TEST PERFORMANCE manipulation the experimenter started a stop watch and left the lab, giving the participant 5 minutes to take the test. Afterward the experimenter returned and debriefed the participants. The final analysis showed that their experiment would support their hypothesis, Participants who

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were exposed to the color red prior the anagram test performed worse than those who viewed the green or black. Although previous research finds some inconsistencies, most studies shows a causal relationship between color and achievement in test performance. Theoretical research indicates that exposure to specific colors, under certain situations, in the right conditions does have a deep psychological impact on the feelings, attitudes, behavior and performance of an individual. The current research aims to conduct a replication experiment based on the ILiant study. Using primary colors, red, green, blue, and black as the manipulation, the colored ink will be our independent variable. This study will show that exposure to the color red in the form of ink will produce negative effects on achievement in test performance when compared with blue, black, or green. Method Participants Twenty male and twenty female undergraduate psychology students participated for extra credit (mean age was 18). Materials and Procedures Participants were told they were participating in a study on jumbled word puzzles. When participants arrived they were greeted and seated. All participants received an Informed Consent to read and sign. Participants then received one black pen and four pages of short jumbled word puzzles. Each individual puzzle included five jumbled words to reorganize into

EFFECTS OF COLOR ON TEST PERFORMANCE words. Each of the puzzle words were a minimum of three letters and a maximum of six letters. Twenty words were chosen from an elementary level school web site called bradleys-english-

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school.com. Each individual page was printed in one of four colors including: blue, black, green, and red. Word puzzle fonts were created in Times New Roman with title font measuring 36, instruction front measuring 24, and the puzzle letter font measuring 18. A size 36 title font was surrounded by a color box so they we could increase color exposure to participant. Participants were instructed to take jumbled letters on four word puzzles and reorganize them into words. Researchers timed experiment using a stop watch from an electronic device (i.e., iphone). Participants received five minutes for each individual page with a total of 20 minutes to complete all four jumbled word puzzles. Experimenters remained in the room throughout the experiment. The entire experiment took 45 minutes from beginning to end. Jumbled word puzzles were collected from participants. Participants were than thanked and debriefed. Results Analyses focus on participants exposure to text in four colors (e.g., red, blue, green, black) in which the colors were used as the manipulation presented and shown using a jumbled word test to determine effects of color on performance. Mean test scores were analyzed allowing us to examine test performance depending on the color of the text they were exposed to during the test. The scores were then analyzed using a Microsoft Word program which revealed a 0.15 range in exam scores, with the biggest range between the blue and red tests, and the smallest range between the black and green tests. Test results indicated that the green condition produced the highest score ( M=0.93, SD=0.18), with the second highest being the blue condition with an identical Mean score

EFFECTS OF COLOR ON TEST PERFORMANCE (M=0.93, SD=0.10), with a slight variation in the standard deviation. The black condition was second to the lowest score (M=0.87, SD=0.18), with the overall lowest score being that of the red condition (M=0.78, SD=0.26). Mean and standard deviation for all variables can be seen in

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Table 1. These findings provided some evidence that color in which participants were exposed to during a test did effect their achievement in performance on a test. The results are in line with our hypothesis which is that the color red produce’s negative effects on achievement in test performance.

Table 1
100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 10% 18% 18% 26%
Green Blue Black Red

Discussion The present study demonstrated a relationship between the color red and achievement in test performance. Participants scored considerably lower on the red test condition, than they did on the green, blue, and black conditions. These results are important because they demonstrate a causal relationship between the color red and achievement in test performance.

EFFECTS OF COLOR ON TEST PERFORMANCE This study also provides an important contribution to the existing research on the affects of color and test performance. Researchers have focused on certain aspects of color and test performance, such as the effects of using colored paper (Fordham, D. R., Hayes, D. C., 2009) and the effects of exposure to a single red number (Elliot, A. J., Maier, M. A., Moller, A. C., Friedman, R., & Meinhardt, J. (2007), but have largely neglected to focus on the effects of

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achievement in test performance when the test in printed in red ink. The present work shows that exposure to a test printed in red ink provided a more controlled measure of the causal relationship between the color red and negative test results, producing higher internal validity and a more accurate correlation between the two. One limitation of the present study is that we only examined one type of test. Future research should determine if similar effects are found on other types of tests. Another limitation was that we used one shade of the primary color red. Future research could examine if different shades of the color red moderates the impact of red and test performance. Overall, these results advance current theories on the impact of the color red and achievement in test performance. The present study demonstrated that exposure to red ink on a test produced lower test scores. To our knowledge, our study provides the first demonstration of the causal relationship between red ink and achievement in test performance. Such awareness is greatly needed, given that educators frequently use color paper to print tests with no thought of the negative psychological affect it is having on their student.

EFFECTS OF COLOR ON TEST PERFORMANCE References Elliot, A. J., Maier, M. A., Moller, A. C., Friedman, R., & Meinhardt, J. (2007). Color and psychological functioning: The effect of red on performance attainment. Journal Of

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Experimental Psychology: General, 136(1), 154-168. DOI:10.1037/0096-3445.136.1.154 Fordham, D. R., Hayes, D. C., (2009). Worth Repeating: Paper Color May Have An Effect On Student Performance. Issues In Accounting, 24(2), 187-194. DOI:10.1040/0096-3445.136.1.164 ILanit I. R., Akers, K. G., & Hodge, G. K. (2008). Effect of Paper Color and Question Order On Exam Performance. Teaching Of Psychology, 35(1), 26-28. DOI:10.1080/0098280-701.818.482