How you see yourself influences your color preference: Effects of self‐construal on evaluations of color combinations

The present study examines the role of self‐construal in the preference for analogous versus complementary color combinations. The majority of previous research on color has been limited to exploration of single colors. However, designers and marketers often use a mix of colors whose harmony must be...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Psychology & marketing 2020-07, Vol.37 (7), p.980-994
Main Authors: Jeon, Eunmi, Han, Youngjee, Nam, Myungwoo
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
aesthetics
Color
color combination
color marketing
color preference
design
harmony
Influence
Marketing
Psychological aspects
self‐construal
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Summary:The present study examines the role of self‐construal in the preference for analogous versus complementary color combinations. The majority of previous research on color has been limited to exploration of single colors. However, designers and marketers often use a mix of colors whose harmony must be taken into consideration, which includes choosing whether to use colors placed next to each other on the color wheel (analogous combination) or to combine colors that are opposite each other (complementary combination). The current study proposes that self‐construal influences the perception of and preference for color combinations. Individuals with interdependent self‐construals tend to focus on relational similarity and value harmony, whereas individuals with independent self‐construals tend to view objects as discrete and disconnected. Accordingly, the authors posited that individuals with interdependent self‐construals would be more sensitive to the relationship between two colors and perceive analogous colors as more harmonious, thus preferring brands and products featuring analogous colors to those featuring complementary colors. Contrariwise, individuals with independent self‐construals would display indifference in this regard. The hypotheses were confirmed in four studies employing various colors to form analogous and complementary color combinations.
ISSN:0742-6046
1520-6793
DOI:10.1002/mar.21348