Sunday, August 30, 2009

When Color Blindness is a Good Thing




Research at the University of Münster, Germany, showed that in close martial arts matches, competitors wearing red were awarded ~13% more points compared to if they had a blue uniform.

The discovery is yet another in a string of discoveries that reveal color can affect the human mind. Red, in particular, has been studied and is believed to be perceived as a dominant color, causing the observer to perform adversely.

You can also participate in the study - see here.

But don't think the color of your uniform will make you Bruce Lee. As researcher Robert Barton points out, "If you're rubbish, a red shirt won't stop you from losing, but when fights were relatively symmetrical, colour tipped the balance."

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