The Hidden Language of Colors in Human Emotions
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65339/ijsair.V2.I3.779Keywords:
Color–Emotion Association, Color Preference, Color Psychology, Emotional State, Learning Environment, Student Well-BeingAbstract
This study examined how secondary school students associate common colors with selected emotional meanings and determined whether color preference is significantly associated with self-reported emotional state. It was anchored in the Color-in-Context perspective and the affective dimensions of valence and arousal, recognizing that color meanings are shaped by hue, brightness, saturation, personal experience, cultural interpretation, and environmental context. A descriptive-correlational research design was employed among 100 Grade 7 to Grade 10 students from a secondary school located in Barangay 311, Zone 31, Santa Cruz, Manila. The sample comprised 50 male and 50 female respondents selected from a population of 450 through stratified random sampling with equal allocation. Data were collected using a researcher-developed questionnaire covering demographic characteristics, multiple-response color–emotion associations, primary color preference, and self-reported emotional state. Frequency, percentage, and the chi-square test of independence were used to analyze the data. Blue was most strongly associated with calmness at 82%, black with sadness at 79%, yellow with happiness at 78%, red with excitement at 75% and anger at 68%, green with calmness or relaxation at 74%, orange with excitement at 70%, gray with sadness or boredom at 67%, white with calmness or clarity at 65%, and purple with calmness or creativity at 62%. The chi-square test indicated a statistically significant association between color preference and self-reported emotional state, with p = .021. However, the available statistical output did not establish the strength of the association. The study concludes that colors function as a recognizable but flexible language of emotion whose meanings vary according to visual, personal, cultural, and contextual factors. The findings support SDG 3 on Good Health and Well-Being and SDG 4 on Quality Education by providing evidence that may guide context-sensitive visual design in educational environments.
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