THE EFFECT OF COLOR TEXT IN MEMORY

An Undergraduate Research

Presented to the School of Psychology

St. Jude CollegeDasmariñas, Cavite

In Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Subject

PSY 123 Experimental Psychology

Heaven Jake Cando

Eduardo Calora Jr.

Caren Perillo

April 2019
 Introduction

Colors affect our memories every day and throughout our lives, and are used both

intentionally and subliminally by educators and even marketing companies. Scientific

testing has found that certain colors are more stimulating, which enhances memory. This

stimulation can be negative and positive; affecting how you're distracted, what you can

recall and what initially attracts your attention. Memory performance is an important

aspect of life, and problems with it can cause various degrees of impaired functioning and

distress. Furthermore, these problems are common throughout ages, sexes, and races,

so ways to improve memory is a huge field of research. One way that memory may be

improved is by using color. Many studies have shown a positive effect of color on memory

using stimuli such as natural scenes, nonsense stimuli, and color overlays (Cernin, Keller,

& Stoner, 2003; Cui, Gao, Zhou, & Guo, 2016; Wichmann, Sharpe, & Gegenfurtner,

2002). Many factors within the color effect have been studied such as context of color

(Kunieki, Pilarczyk & Wichary, 2015), color inconstancy (Hurlbert & Ling, 2005), long term

effects (Spence, Wong, Rusan, & Rastegar, 2006; Wichmann et al., 2002), and the effect

on recognition vs recall (Smilek, Dixon, Dudahy, & Merikle, 2002).

Memory

Memory refers to the mental process of encoding, retaining, and retrieving

information (Dzulkifli & Mustafar, 2013). How the human cognitive system deals with the

memorization process remains the center of research among cognitive psychologists.

One of the most interesting and challenging questions in contemporary memory research

is on ways to enhance human memory performance. Many variables have been

advanced as contributing to the retrieval operations and such include color (NIA, 2008;

Pett &Wilson 1996). Color is believed to be the most important visual experience of

human beings (Dzulkifli & Mustafar, 2013). It functions as a powerful information channel

to the human cognitive system and has been found to play a significant role in enhancing

memory performance. Therefore, in searching for strategies to facilitate the learning

process, colors must be recognized as capable of motivating students to learn and profit

from their educational experiences. (Wichmann, Sharpe, & Gegenfurtner, 2002).

Color

Color is used almost universally in the production of instructional materials, such

as slides, filmstrips, motion pictures, video programs. Colors can be described in

“temperature” terms: colors in the red range of the spectrum are subjectively known as

“warm” colors (active, stimulating); colors in the blue range of the spectrum are

considered “cool” colors (restful, quiet) Color harmonies describe the relationship certain

colors have with one another on the color wheel, and how they can be selected to create

a pleasing color selection, while discordant colors are colors not in their natural order, not

pleasing or balanced. Monochromatic color schemes use a single hue with variation in

saturation and brightness. Achromatic colors are black, white, and shades of gray.

Congruent colors are those closely related to the words, in which the ink color and the

word refer to the same color e.g. green used for grass or pink is used for the word ‘pink’.

Incongruent colors: colors that are not closely related to the word, i.e. the color and words

are different e.g. purple used for grass, or orange ink used the word ‘pink’. A color is a

powerful tool, which has many uses in education. It can be used to get attention, enhance

clarity, establish a code, label things in nature and differentiate items.

In this study the researcher aims is to determine the effect of color text on the memory

among the participants, does the presence or absence of colors information influence the

human’s sensory, and the average number of words in color that people remember will

be greater than the average number of words that people remember in black and white.

The study also aimed to find out which color category has a greater effect on the retention

rate of the participants.

Statement of the Problem

The aim of this study is to determine how colors affect the memory of the

participant, to find out which color category has a greater effect on their retention rate of

the participants.

Specifically, this is sought to answer the following questions:

1. What is the demographic profile of the participant in terms of:

1.1. Age

1.2. Gender

1.3. Year Level

2. Which color category has a greater effect on their retention rate of the participants?

2.1. Monochromatic colors

2.2. Achromatic colors

3. Does the presence or absence of colors information influence the human’s

sensory?

4. Based on the findings, how the color affects the memory of the participant?
 Hypothesis

1. There is no significant difference in the retention rate of subjects exposed to

monochromatic color and achromatic color in the control group.

2. There is no significant difference between the effects of color text in the human’s

memory.
 Research Paradigm

The concept of the study shows the variables and illustrated in a paradigm. The

conceptual framework of this study is presented below:

INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT

1.What is the 1. Brainstorming 1. Relationship

demographic profile of the 2. Proposed title between the
participant in terms of: 3. Accepted Title demographic
4. Looking for profile of the
1.1Age respondent participant and
1.2Gender 5. Pretest effects of color text
1.3Year Level (experimental and in memory.
uncontrolled
2. Which color category group) 2. The recommend
has a greater effect on 6. Data gathering which color
their retention rate of the 7. Post - test category has a
participants? (experimental and greater effect on
uncontrolled their retention rate
1.1 Monochromatic color group) of the participants.
1.2 Achromatic colors 8. Gathered data and
result 3. The recommend of
3. Does the presence or the presence and
absence of colors the absence of
information influence the colors influence
human’s sensory? the humans
sensory.
4. Based on the findings,
how the color affects the
memory of the
participant?

Feedback
Figure 1. The paradigm of the Study

In the table above the input shows the demographic profile of the participants in

terms of age, gender and year level. It also includes which color category has a greater

effect on their retention rate of the participants, does the presence or absence of colors

information influence the human’s sensory, and how the color affects the memory of the

participant.

The process shows how the researchers how to come up in that kind of study. The

researcher will transcribe the recorded data for gathering and interpretation.

The output shows the results of the different findings on what are the relationship between

the demographic profile of the participant and effects of color text in memory recommend

which color category has a greater effect on their retention rate of the participants and

recommend of the presence and the absence of colors influence the humans sensory.

Significance of the Study

The main purpose of this study is to know the effect of color text on the memory

among 2nd-year BSBM students at CVSU Silang AY 2019-2020. The result of the study

will be significant for the following:

Students. The research will help the participants to know what color text they need to
choose to easily memorize.

Teachers. The teachers will benefit this research study, they can use this research to
make more effective to their students by choosing the color text to help them to easily
memorize.
Future Researchers. This research may help them to study the effectiveness of color

text in memorizing. This can also serve as additional data for future researchers who also

want to make future research in the future about the same concept.

Definition of Terms

Colors. In this study, the color will be used as the antecedent to the experimental group.

The property possessed by an object of producing different sensation on the eye as a

result of the way the object reflects or emits light.

Achromatic Color. Means literally “without color” It can also refer “greys” or “neutral

colors”, also black.

Monochromatic Color. All the colors (tones, tints, and shades ) of a single hue.

Short term memory. Occurring in or relating to a relatively short period of time.

Retention.The fact of keeping something in one's memory.

Human’s sensory. Means by which humans react to changes in external and internal

environments.

Review of Related Literature

Age And Gender-Based Color Preferences

Do men and women like different colors as they age? Apparently, they do. And the

proof is everywhere. There is a reason why a baby girl is wrapped in pink blankets and
baby boys in blue. The assumption is that girls that age might find pink more appealing

and the same belief applies to boys.

That assumption is based on scientific facts. Science says that the color

preferences for each gender change as they grow older. For example, a one-year-old

female might like the color pink but that preference changes as she comes into her teens.

A boy is likely to change his color preferences the same way as he ages.

Color does more than giving us an objective view of the world; it affects how we

feel. This is why businesses choose colors wisely to cater to each gender, be it crafting a

logo design, website theme or marketing collateral. It is also why they use certain hues

to appeal to kids and others for adults. In order to understand how both sexes perceive

colors as they age, take a look at this infographic.

The study suggests children’s perception of gender-related colors can be easily

manipulated

“I was interested in understanding the causes and consequences of behaviors that are

important in everyday life and that show large gender differences, and play and color

preferences happen to be examples of these behaviors,” said study author Wang Ivy

Wong of the University of Hong Kong.

“Researchers including myself have found that gender color-coding by the popular pink-

blue divide affects children’s preferences. Some people may think that the color coding

is simply an aesthetic issue, and if has an effect, it’s only on personal preferences. We

wanted to take it one step further—-what if gender color-coding not only affects

preferences but also performance?” “Also, we wanted to test whether otherwise gender-
neutral colors can become gender-typed by children just by applying arbitrary gender

labels to the colors. This would give us insight into the possible ways in which pink and

blue have become the respective colors for girls and boys.”

The study of 129 preschool Chinese children (aged between 5 and 7) found that girls

tended to choose yellow toys when told that yellow was a girl’s color. Likewise, boys

tended to choose green toys when told that green was a boy’s color.

Children who were not told that yellow or green was associated with a specific gender,

on the other hand, showed no preference for a specific color of the toy.

“It is possible to create a gender difference in young children by simply labeling, arbitrarily,

something as for boys and something else as for girls,” Wong told PsyPost. “Gender

labeling, by explicit gender terms or by color, not only affects preferences but also

performance.”

The researchers also had the children play with yellow and green tangram puzzles.

Exposure to gender labels improved boys’ but not girls’ performance. But having a

“gender appropriate” or “gender inappropriate” color did not make much of a difference in

the children’s ability to put the puzzle together.

“We found that gender labeling affected some aspects of performance, but as an

experiment, we tested this using a specific task with specific stimuli (tangram puzzles).

We need more varied tests to see to what extent the results are generalizable,” Wong

said.

“We also found that the children in Hong Kong show gender differences in preferences

for the colors pink and blue. This suggests that the gender difference in color preferences
currently that have caught attention in the West is generalizable to children in developed

Asian regions. However, because Hong Kong is highly westernized, this cross-cultural

resemblance cannot be taken as evidence that the gender difference is universal

independent of culture.”

Do Women see More Colors than Men?

Roses are red, violets are blue; or are they? The colors you see may not always

be the same someone else sees. The average human can perceive one million different

colors, but researchers suspect that a small percentage of women may be capable of

seeing one hundred times that amount.

Women have always doubted this; now a new study has confirmed that men have a far

higher chance of struggling to tell the difference between hues*, as one in 12 of them are

color blind compared to one in 255 women. Researchers at Newcastle University also

believe that some women may be able to see 99 million more colors than the average

human being.

Vision is one of the most complicated senses. How the eyes perceive color is broken

down by ocular cells called cones; each allows you to see around 100 shades. Individuals

who are color blind, however, have only two types of cones and are called “dichromatic”.

Each of the three standard color-detecting cones in the retina—blue, green, and red—

can pick up about 100 different color gradations, Dr. Jay Neitz, a renowned color vision

researcher at the Medical College of Wisconsin, estimated. However, the brain can

combine those variations exponentially, he said, so that the average person can

distinguish about one million different hues.

Dr. Neitz, who conducts his research with his wife Maureen, said only women have the

potential for super color vision. That is because the genes for the pigments in green and

red cones lie on the X chromosome, and only women have two X chromosomes, creating

the opportunity for one type of red cone to be activated on one X chromosome and the

other type of red cone on the other one. In a few cases, women may have two distinct

green cones on either X chromosome.

It is unlikely, Dr. Neitz said, that all of the women with four types of color cones will have

the potential for superior color vision, because, for many, their two red cones will be so

close to each other in the wavelengths they detect that they will not see things much

differently than a three-color person does. He estimated that 2% to 3% of the world's

women may have the kind of fourth cone that lies between the standard red and green

cones, which could give them a colossal range.

Finding tetrachromats through genetic screening is one thing; proving they can see tens

of millions of additional colors is another. One research group headed by Gabriele Jordan

of Newcastle University in Great Britain has identified a true tetrachromat.

Dr. Jordan started by working backward from certain “color blind” boys to their mothers.

About 8% of the world's men have a color deficiency, which is the term vision researchers

prefer to color blindness. Most of them inherit two red or two green cones along with the

standard blue cone, making it impossible for them to distinguish between red and green.

Dr. Jordan's team used vision tests to identify more than one hundred schoolboys in the

Newcastle area with that kind of color deficiency. She knew that the mothers of those
boys would have either two red or two green cones, and she is now in the process of

testing those women to see which of them might be “strong tetrachromats”, as she put it.

To single out such women, she came up with a clever test. Each woman looks into an

optical device that shows her three tiny discs in rapid succession. Two of the discs are a

pure orange wavelength, and the third is a nearly identical mixture of red and green; they

are not told which is which.

Dr. Jordan reasoned that women with two distinct red cones would see the red-green disc

differently than the orange discs. Of the 20 women she has tested so far, only one was

able to instantly and accurately identify the red-green disc each time. She is now

conducting genetic tests on the woman's saliva to verify whether she has the genes for

distinct red cones.

Based on Dr. Neitz's estimates, there could be 99 million women in the world with true

four-color vision. However, before they pat themselves on the back for their superior

evolution, he said, it is important to note that humans are just getting back to where birds,

amphibians, and reptiles have been for eons.

Those creatures have long had a four-color vision, but the main difference is that their

fourth type of color detector is in the high-frequency ultraviolet range, beyond where

humans can see. In fact, that conclusion allowed scientists to figure out recently why the

males of some species of birds did not appear to have brighter plumage than the females,

Dr. Neitz said.

The problem was in the observers, not the birds, he said. When those species were

viewed through ultraviolet detectors, the males had markedly different feathers than the

females.

In a similar way, he said, our eyes are not capable of seeing the world the way a true four-

color viewer perceives it, and so we have no way of knowing how many advantages that

might give to tetrachromats.

There are many things in the world that are physically different from one another that you

cannot tell apart now with three-color vision, but a four-color woman presumably would

see the distinctions indeed!

Methodology

Participants

Participants were 50 BSBM 2nd-year students from the Cavite State University

Silang Campus. Informed consent was obtained and all participants were asked to

provide standard demographic information.

Procedure

Participants entered the private library study room and sat at a table. First, they

were asked if they were color-blind in order to ensure that they would receive the full

effect of the color of the words they view. None of the participants indicated that they were

ever diagnosed with any variety of color blindness. Next, the participant filled out a

demographics survey to gather basic information about the participants. Information such
as age, major, gender, and year in school were inquired about on the demographics

survey.

Measures

Recall. The recall was measured by the number of words that the participant

remembered and wrote down from the 10 item word list. The number of correct words

written down was then compared between the control and test group.

Results and Discussion

After tallying the results from the participant's answer, it is hereby presented in this

chapter. The results are tabulated and therefore should be analyzed and interpreted. The

following tables will be shown as the result of the given memorizing color text word. To

analyze the data are tallied, the following formula was used:

Whereas:

WM= Weighted mean

= is the sum of

f = frequency

N = Total number of participants

The result of pretest and posttest of the uncontrolled and experimental group:

The researcher found that the students who were given the list of words in black ink had

a weighted mean average number of words memorized of 50.8., out of 10 words given in

black ink 5 only words shown an easy to memorize. Students who were given the list of

words in color had an average of 64.8. They also had a minimum of 7 words to memorize

out of 10. There was significance between numbers of words memorized between the

two groups. This result indicated that the groups exposed to achromatic colors performed

better than those exposed to monochromatic colors, this affirms that not just any color

increases retention for adult learners, contrary to what was reported by Spence et al.

(2006); which found that using any color at all increase young learners cognitive

retention.,
 Conclusion

Therefore, according to the findings, the researcher concluded that there is significant

difference using color text in memorizing. This study has been able to provide meaningful

insight into the use of color in increasing the retention rate of learners, especially adult

learners. From the studies reviewed, there appears to be a basis for associating color

with improved memory abilities. In other words, color has the potential to increase the

chances of environmental stimuli to be encoded, stored, and retrieved successfully. The

choice of colors and the manipulative aspects can, however, influence the extent to which

colors can influence human memory performance. Overall, this topic deserves more

studies.

Recommendation

Given the preceding data, findings, and analysis, the researcher proposed the following

recommendation:

Students: For better recognition of words to enhance their academic performance. for

example their reviewer for upcoming exams.

Teachers: If the text was written in Achromatic colors it helps their student to increase

the performance of their student. for them to remember well in a lesson the text should

be written in that color. the visual aids and handouts that are given to them.

Future Researcher: We suggest that they should find out to know if there is a color for

boys or color for girls that is more favorable to the other gender. also, the words that
used for the experimental group and control group should be the same because there

might be a bias if the used word in one group has deep words. lastly, the researcher

should try it in a long period of time to try if they can still recall it.
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