Effect of observers' emotional state on color discrimination was examined. Observers in happy (n = 18) versus sad (n = 18) emotional states, as induced by Eich and Metcalfe's 1989 procedure, were faster at discriminating high versus low arousal colors, respectively. Emotional state of observers had no effect on processing colors differing in valence.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
BharuchaJ.MeikeB.BairdJ. (1987) The Macintosh as a user-friendly laboratory for perception and cognition. Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers, 19, 131–134.
2.
ChristmanS.HackworthM. (1993) Equivalent perceptual asymmetries for free viewing of positive and negative emotional expressions in chimeric faces. Neuropsychologia, 31, 621–624.
3.
EichE.MetcaleeM. (1989) Mood dependent memory for internal versus external events. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 15, 443–455.
4.
FeldmanL. (1995) Valence focus and arousal focus: Individual differences in the structure of affective experience. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 69, 153–166.
5.
JonesP.WilkinsonH. (1975) Latency differences to monochromatic stimuli measured by disjunctive reaction time. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 41, 55–59.
6.
KrandaK. (1983) Analysis of reaction times to coloured stimuli. Opthalmic and Physiological Optics, 3, 223–231.
7.
RussellJ.MehrabianA. (1977) Evidence for a three-factor theory of emotions. Journal of Research in Personality, 11, 273–294.
8.
ValdezP.MehrabianA. (1994) Effects of color on emotions. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 12, 394–409.
