Date of Award
2014
Document Type
Honors Thesis
Department
Behavioral Sciences
First Advisor
Oystein LaBianca
Abstract
Does a person's perception of color symbolism depend on their cultural geographic origin? As color is often connected to different cultural elements, this study is intended as a contribution to advancing cross-cultural understanding in a globalizing world. The hypothesis states that the color perceived to be symbolic of various life events such as weddings, births, and deaths as well as emotions such s happiness or sadness, will vary based on a person's cultural geographic origin. Using eleven basic color terms as determined by Berlin and Kay (196), subjects' perceptions of color symbolism was explored through responses to an online survey shared with a global convenicence sample. The findins have shown a dependence on the construct to which color symbolism is being attributed. Data was found to both support and refute this hypothesis. In the constructs of contempt, disgust, happiness, birth and wealth, the hypothesis was supported while it was refuted through the data collected for anger, sadness, fear, surprise, death, weddings, divorce, poverty, work education.
Recommended Citation
Bradfield, Erica L., "The Diversity of Color: an Analysis of Cross-cultural Color Symbolism" (2014). Honors Theses. 90.
https://dx.doi.org/10.32597/honors/90/
https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/honors/90
Subject Area
Symbolism of colors$vCross-cultural studies., Color$vPsychological aspects.
Presentation Record URL
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
DOI
https://dx.doi.org/10.32597/honors/90/