Seeing red, literally

Scimex: In a study out of the UK, researchers have found the colour red, when worn as clothing, can manipulate people's perceptions of the wearers. In line with universal cultural meanings of the colour, the results found that people wearing red were viewed as being dominant, aggressive and more likely to be angry. In humans, wearing red influences social perceptions and enhances competitive advantage in sports. We experimentally manipulated the apparent clothing colour (red/blue/grey) of individuals in photographs presented to raters. Our results show surprising effects of colour on social perception in humans that are consistent with both sexually selected behavioural effects in non-human species and with widespread cultural attributions to the colour red. In particular, individuals wearing red are rated as more dominant and aggressive, and are more likely to be classified as angry. These effects are congruent with apparently universal cultural associations of the colour red.