Ravishing Red

With Chinese New Year just recently concluding, there was a definite increase in the number of people wearing vibrant red shirts and blouses. Although most Filipino-Chinese people typically have just one big dinner celebration commemorating this event, I had two of these said dinners on consecutive evenings. In those Chinese restaurants we ate at, there was no shortage of festive spirit, tasty (and very oily) Chinese food, and people in bright red clothing. The Chinese culture’s preference for the color red is a very old tradition that is rooted in the belief that the color brings the wearer prosperity, good fortune, happiness, and long life. These are arguably the things that most people would want to possess in their lifetime, and all for the simple task of walking around looking like a giant tomato. But perhaps there is another reason why the Chinese are so fond of the color red, and they may not even be aware of it.

A study was reported in class which had findings that support the idea that men perceive women around the color red, either in their clothing or in front of a background, as more physically attractive. Aside from physical attractiveness, the women were also seen as more sexually desirable, while men were more willing in asking these women out and spending more money when on a date with them, among other things.

Red + Woman = Sexy

Although the findings may seem to give women an unfair advantage, a recent 2010 study shows that women likewise perceive men to be more attractive and sexually desirable when seen on a red background and in red clothing. This “red effect” was also shown to have an association with the males’ perceived rank or status. The men being seen in the color red only affected women’s romantic attraction towards them, while it did not affect in any way the women’s perception of the men’s overall likability, agreeableness, and extraversion. Red also did not influence the men’s perception of other men in this study. Despite being unaware of the true nature of the experiments they took part of, the results show that the color red was able to subtly alter their perceptions of a man’s attractiveness.

Some explanations the study presented to account for this effect was that women are more sensitive than men in detecting red. This may include being able to perceive faint changes in the coloration of a man’s face due to increased blood flow, as well as an enduring red coloration that may indicate general good health. It is possible that the red effect may have its strongest influence on females when they are at their most fertile point in their ovulatory cycle, when they have a strong preference for males with masculine features. And because, more often than not, a confident man is a sexy man, their choosing to wear red may also enhance their own perceptions. In displaying deep red colors, a man’s sense of power or status may subtly grow, in turn affecting his thoughts, feelings, and actions.

The image of masculine sex appeal.

The results obtained from this series of experiments are interesting in that the “red effect” is also supported by empirical data. Because of the pervasiveness of the color red in the Chinese culture and tradition, it now kind of gives a plausible explanation as to why China is the most populous nation in the world. It is really rather amazing that something so simple as the color of one’s shirt may have such profound effects on the attraction patterns for human beings. With another significant February holiday fast approaching, it is now easy to understand as to why red is color of choice for this event experienced both by lovers and lovers-to-be alike.

Red working its magic.

Elliot, A.J., Niesta Kayser, D., Greitemeyer, T., Lichtenfeld, S., Gramzow, R.H., Maier, M.A., Liu, H. (2010). Red, rank, and romance in women viewing men. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 139(3), 399-417.

Images from:

http://www.girls-t-shirts.com

http://letscolourproject.com

http://www.topchinatravel.com