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5. Anthropological and psychological aspects of aesthetic of color perception

Anthropological and psychological aspects of aesthetic of color perception

Shpak L.Y.,Vergeles M.O.

Lomonosov Moscow State University, Anuchin Research Institute and Museum of Anthropology, Mokhovaya st., 11, Moscow, 125009, Russia

Shpak Larisa Y., Ph.D., ORCID ID: 0000-0002-6936-9426, e-mail: larusparus@mail.ru; Vergeles M.O., e-mail: vergeles@rocketmail.com

Abstract

This article presents a study of aesthetic color preferences and attitude and its connections with in-dividual’s somatic and psychological features. Previous studies show that color preference depends on sex, age, psychoemotional and other characteristics of individual and thus can be used as a part of the general human constitution. Using a sample of 80 male and 77 female Moscow students we examined correlations between color preference and body size, somatotype, pigmentation, dynamometry, anxiety and neuroticism level, extraversion–introversion trait. Color attitude was measured both verbally and projectively (by fulfilling certain graphic tasks). On the basis of verbal color tests’ results we calculated coefficient of color preference and general color atti-tude index. Coefficients of harmonious color combinations are based on results of graphic tests. The most common choice of favorite color is blue and green. Most of the examined individuals don’t have a disliked color; having one is strongly correlated with neuroticism and state anxiety level. More anxious the person is - more likely he or she to dislike colors; correlation is slightly stronger for females. Sex differences in neuroticism, state and trait anxiety levels are valid. Most of morphological features are uncorrelated with color choice; however there are some certain correlations with eye and hair color. There are some correlations between color attitude and somatotype: athletic males and mesoplastic females have a negative color attitude significantly rarely. Harmony of color pairs was determined based on J. Itten’s color wheel. An amount of harmonious choices are twice-thrice bigger than the amount of inharmonious and females tend to select harmonious color pairs more often than males. Choice of color pairs for a test with simple shapes is partly determined by individual’s morphological and psychological features. Results of test with complex shapes are presumably associatively connected with cultural char-acteristics and individual aesthetic preferences.

Keywords

anthropology, morphofunctional features, psychoemotional indexes, color preference, anxiety, color wheel, color, anthropoaesthetics

Цит.: Shpak L.Y.,Vergeles M.O. Anthropological and psychological aspects of aesthetic of color perception // Moscow University Anthropology Bulletin (Vestnik Moskovskogo Universiteta. Seria XXIII. Antropologia), 2015; 1/2015; с. 66-75