The colour red can often be found in conjunction with compliant behaviour – red commonly means 'stop' for example, and warning lights are frequently red.
But a new study claims the colour may have a different association for people with particular personality types.
"Sensation seeking" personality types, in fact, were more likely to rebel against established norms when seeing this particular hue.
The experiment, conducted by the University Illinois, showed three different colours on a chat screen while callers were put on hold to speak to a counsellor. The team expected that "red would reduce the number of prank calls".
But, "to their surprise", prank calls were higher when the colour of the chat was red rather than white or blue. In fact, prank calls occurred 22 per cent of the time with a red background compared to 15 per cent with white or blue backgrounds.
Following this, the researchers asked participants to complete an online questionnaire assessing their level of sensation seeking, and evaluating their attitude towards "compliant behaviour". The questions were presented on either a red or white background.
People high in sensation seeking traits who viewed the red background "preferred statements that were resistant to compliant behaviour" – something that didn't happen when they saw a white background.
This, the team claim, is because red increases "non-compliant behaviour in people with sensation seeking personality types". This kind of person seeks "novel and intense sensations and experiences, and are willing to take physical, social and financial risks for the sake of such experiences".
"Using red to promote these preventative health measures might not work for people who are high in sensation seeking, and it might even backfire," the team say.
The study will appear in the January 2017 edition of the Journal of Consumer Psychology.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
