Effects of Saturation on Anger in a Low-Saturation Range: A Comparison of Background Colors in 12 Tones

This study used an online survey to investigate the effects of brightness in low-saturation color ranges on anger processing. Specifically, it explored how background hues—red, yellow-green, and blue-green—affect perceptions of illustrations of an angry red face. The experiment involved 36 color com...

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Main Authors: Akinori Shimodaira, Noriyuki Kida
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-04-01
Series:Behavioral Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/15/4/551
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author Akinori Shimodaira
Noriyuki Kida
author_facet Akinori Shimodaira
Noriyuki Kida
author_sort Akinori Shimodaira
collection DOAJ
description This study used an online survey to investigate the effects of brightness in low-saturation color ranges on anger processing. Specifically, it explored how background hues—red, yellow-green, and blue-green—affect perceptions of illustrations of an angry red face. The experiment involved 36 color combinations classified into three hue groups and three saturation levels (high, medium, and low) based on the Practical Color Co-ordinate System. The results indicate that the influence of hue disappears in the low-saturation range. Across all the saturation levels, lower brightness intensified the perception of anger, with the anger elicited by darker colors similar in strength to that elicited from vivid red. These findings offer new insights into the role of color in emotional processing, particularly in relation to anger.
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series Behavioral Sciences
spelling doaj-art-dfd4c969050c4e7bbe71a6d3cb0c31202025-08-20T03:14:17ZengMDPI AGBehavioral Sciences2076-328X2025-04-0115455110.3390/bs15040551Effects of Saturation on Anger in a Low-Saturation Range: A Comparison of Background Colors in 12 TonesAkinori Shimodaira0Noriyuki Kida1Doctoral Program of Advanced Fibro-Science, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Kyoto Institute of Technology, 1 Hashikami-cho, Matsugasaki, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8585, JapanFaculty of Arts and Sciences, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Kyoto 606-8585, JapanThis study used an online survey to investigate the effects of brightness in low-saturation color ranges on anger processing. Specifically, it explored how background hues—red, yellow-green, and blue-green—affect perceptions of illustrations of an angry red face. The experiment involved 36 color combinations classified into three hue groups and three saturation levels (high, medium, and low) based on the Practical Color Co-ordinate System. The results indicate that the influence of hue disappears in the low-saturation range. Across all the saturation levels, lower brightness intensified the perception of anger, with the anger elicited by darker colors similar in strength to that elicited from vivid red. These findings offer new insights into the role of color in emotional processing, particularly in relation to anger.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/15/4/551three attributes of colorhuevaluesaturationemotionanger
spellingShingle Akinori Shimodaira
Noriyuki Kida
Effects of Saturation on Anger in a Low-Saturation Range: A Comparison of Background Colors in 12 Tones
Behavioral Sciences
three attributes of color
hue
value
saturation
emotion
anger
title Effects of Saturation on Anger in a Low-Saturation Range: A Comparison of Background Colors in 12 Tones
title_full Effects of Saturation on Anger in a Low-Saturation Range: A Comparison of Background Colors in 12 Tones
title_fullStr Effects of Saturation on Anger in a Low-Saturation Range: A Comparison of Background Colors in 12 Tones
title_full_unstemmed Effects of Saturation on Anger in a Low-Saturation Range: A Comparison of Background Colors in 12 Tones
title_short Effects of Saturation on Anger in a Low-Saturation Range: A Comparison of Background Colors in 12 Tones
title_sort effects of saturation on anger in a low saturation range a comparison of background colors in 12 tones
topic three attributes of color
hue
value
saturation
emotion
anger
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/15/4/551
work_keys_str_mv AT akinorishimodaira effectsofsaturationonangerinalowsaturationrangeacomparisonofbackgroundcolorsin12tones
AT noriyukikida effectsofsaturationonangerinalowsaturationrangeacomparisonofbackgroundcolorsin12tones