The Effects of Hue and Lightness Upon Color Preference and Their Relationship to Five Manifest Needs

Abstract

A three-part investigation was conducted in an effort to begin to understand the psychological meaning of color preference behavior. Phase 1 used a Q-sort technique to assess intraindividual stability of preference judgments over a five-week interval. Phase 2 used principal components analysis to discern the manner in which preference judgments were being made. Phase 3 used canonical correlation analysis to evaluate a hypothesized relationship between color preference and personality; with five scales from the Personality Research Form, purported to measure manifest needs, serving as the criterion measure.