The Influence of the "Red Win" Effect in Sports: A Hypothesis of Erroneous Perception of Opponents Dressed in Red - Preliminary Test

Abstract

Purpose. Psychological research indicates that, in contact sports, the results of sports competitions might be influenced by the color of an athlete's uniform (especially the color red). However, previous research has not yet experimentally verified whether this hypothesis might be a consequence of perceptual distortion caused by moving objects of a certain color, such as red. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the effect of an object's color on the efficiency of performing simple tasks in a basic computer game. Methods. 225 participants aged between 16 and 30 years played nine different "arcade" games of skill, differed by the rules and colors used in the game, where the subjects were tested on their ability to hit, escape from, or outmaneuver certain objects of a certain color (either blue, red or black). The score achieved was then correlated to what effect the color of the objects had on a subject's visual perception. Results. It was found that the study participants were able to hit red moving objects significantly better than blue and black objects. No difference was found in the ability to avoid elements, in all three colors. Conclusions. The obtained result finds that in some games of skill, the color of the used stimulus might significantly influence perceptual efficiency and, therefore, the results and performance of individuals. The results of our study suggest that future research is needed in investigating the meaning and role of colors, as this may be very important, in various sports. The colors used in sports equipment, uniforms, environment, etc., should be empirically verified if they can influence the results of sports competitions.

“Red wins”, “black wins” and “blue loses” effects are in the eye of beholder, but they are culturally universal: A cross-cultural analysis of the influence of outfit colours on sports performance.

“…One of the general research trends in modern color psychology is sport psychology (see Sorokowski & Szmajke, 2011). Many teams create their image with a reference to color.…”

Comparison of the ERP-Based BCI Performance Among Chromatic (RGB) Semitransparent Face Patterns

“…For instance, the color red is frequently associated with fire and blood which can lead to excitement and fear (Kaiser, 1984;Camgöz et al, 2004). Sorokowski and Szmajke (2011) found that red could improve performance in a target-hitting task. This result indicated that participants attempting to hit a red moving objects can achieve better performance than participants attempting to hit blue or black targets.…”

Does uniform color affect offside in association football?

“…[38][39][40][41][42] Thus, the players might be more difficult to detect on a similar-colored background, as already suggested by Rowe et al 36 However, experimental research has already emphasized the significance of color brightness for color detection and appearance on chromatic backgrounds. [39][40][41][42][43] Considering a lower detection rate and speed for darker colors (minor values of lightness), black kits were also expected to carry an advantage for attacking and defending teams on offside judgments because of the increased complexity of their perceptual detectability. The results of the current study supported this hypothesis and tied in with the finding of Sorokowski and Szmajke, 43 who reported a significantly lower detection rate for moving black balls versus red balls in an "arcade" game (hitting moving objects presented on a computer screen).…”

“…[39][40][41][42][43] Considering a lower detection rate and speed for darker colors (minor values of lightness), black kits were also expected to carry an advantage for attacking and defending teams on offside judgments because of the increased complexity of their perceptual detectability. The results of the current study supported this hypothesis and tied in with the finding of Sorokowski and Szmajke, 43 who reported a significantly lower detection rate for moving black balls versus red balls in an "arcade" game (hitting moving objects presented on a computer screen). They proposed the possibility of an association between a moving object's color and perceptual errors.…”

“…[39][40][41][42] It was shown that brighter colors proved easier to detect and appeared advanced. [41][42][43] Thus, we also assumed that black uniforms would be more difficult to detect because of their darkness, thereby affecting offside judgments.…”