The effects of color and saturation on the enjoyment of real-life images

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of color presence and saturation on the affective judgment of real-life images, as functions of the image’s affective valence. In the first two experiments, participants observed and rated original color photos and their grayscale versions, presented in an interleaved order across two separate experimental sessions. Color photos were rated as more pleasant than grayscale photos when image valence was positive, and more unpleasant when image valence was negative. The third experiment consisted of the same original images and their versions with saturation reduced by 50%. Original photos were rated as more pleasant than saturation-reduced photos when image valence was positive, yet less unpleasant when image valence was negative, implying potentially separable mechanisms for processing color presence and saturation. Significant interactions were found between color or saturation mode and valence on affective judgment in all three experiments. The effects persisted after controlling for colorfulness and luminance between the color and grayscale (or de-saturated) conditions.

Machine Learning for Multimodal Mental Health Detection: A Systematic Review of Passive Sensing Approaches

“…Meanwhile, other research studies [ 25 , 111 , 220 ] revealed that individuals with mental illness and depression post less colorful images of darker and grayer colors on social media compared to healthy controls, who prefer brighter and more vivid colors such as blue and green. These patterns potentially align with existing knowledge [ 275 ] regarding the influence of individuals’ mood on color preferences, where principal hues (e.g., red, yellow) and intermediate hues (e.g., yellow-red, blue-green) evoked higher positive emotions than achromatic colors like black and white. Specifically, Yazdavar et al [ 25 ] demonstrated a strong positive correlation between self-reported depressive symptoms and individuals’ tendency to perceive surroundings as grey or lacking colors.…”