It takes no more than a glance down the Hallmark aisle to notice the strong association between the color red and the realm of love, lust and desire. Only recently, though, has the link roused any interest in the scientific world.
Two psychologists at the University of Rochester's department of clinical and social sciences in psychology recently conducted an experiment to test the color red for aphrodisiacal effects. Their results introduce a new potential player in the laws of carnal attraction.
"It's fascinating to find that something as ubiquitous as color can be having an effect on our behavior without our awareness," Andrew Elliot, professor of psychology and experiment co-leader, said in a University of Rochester press release.
The study consisted of a number of tests in which men were asked to quantify their attraction to a series of photographed women. Each photograph differed slightly in the color red's overall inclusion, location or quality while all other factors were held constant. The experiment yielded a groundbreaking result: In all cases, there was a strong positive correlation between the presence of red and the photographed women's ratings.
"We really think it's biological, and it's an arousal effect that pertains to the color red," Daniela Niesta Kayser, visiting professor of social psychology at Rochester and Elliot's partner in the project, told the Daily.
Kayser explained that red plays a role in the attraction between primal mates of many species, sometimes signaling that they are ready to reproduce. And in this sense, humans are not so different.
"When females are close to ovulation, they have a different or higher blood stream that also leads to a slight reddening of the skin, and unconsciously they display more skin," she said.
It is possible, however, that the link is largely sociological.
"Socialization is a very important factor of how red has been paired with the domain of love. For example: lipstick, nail polish, Valentine's Day [and] the red light district," Kayser said.
Assistant Professor of Psychology Haline Schendan said that although she has not yet seen Kayser and Elliot's research, she has reason to suspect that the effect is more a cultural than biological product.
"To show an innate preference you would have to do the research in newborn infants," Schendan said. "And until they do that they would not have strong evidence that it was something innate."
