Running head: THE ENHANCING AND DETERIORATING EFFECTS OF COLORS ON STUDENTS' MEMORY

The Enhancing and Deteriorating Effects of Colors on Students' Memory

Lim, Brittany A.
Lanuza, Lea Rizza V.
Malonzo, Alyssa I.
Manahan, Ann Nicole R.
Manalili, Duffnie Chelsea D.
Manlapaz, Jerome D.
University of Santo Tomas

THE ENHANCING AND DETERIORATING EFFECTS OF COLORS ON STUDENTS' MEMORY

Abstract
Human cognition is a higher mental process that involves different aspects such as
perception, arousal, attention, problem-solving, and memory. One important part of human
cognition is memory. Memory is the ability of the brain to store and retrieve information through
associative mechanisms. The brain is classified into areas where a certain part provides specific
functions such as the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, visual cortex, and cerebral cortex. Various
studies and researches have been reviewed and studied to further explain the relationship
between color and memory. Color, as an environmental stimulus, activates the senses as well as
the different areas of the brain involved in memory. It is considered as a tool for enhancing
memory performance. Both warm and cool colors have psychological properties that can
influence how individuals pay attention, understand, and recall information. Such properties
could either be an advantage or a drawback to the learning processes of individuals. Appropriate
choice colors must be taken into consideration for it may cause over and under-stimulation
among individuals.

Keywords: human cognition, memory, color, memory performance

THE ENHANCING AND DETERIORATING EFFECTS OF COLORS ON STUDENTS' MEMORY

Introduction
Memory is an active system that permits humans to retain information through the
different processes of encoding, storage, and retrieval (Plotnik & Kouyoumdjian, 2010). Modern
cognitive researches have associated memory with different factors such as color.
Colors are an essential part of the world. It activates the senses, and serves as a stimulus.
It has an important contribution to the human perception, and acts as a way in discovering
cognitive developments. Colors play a meaningful role in enhancing memory performance for
they provide improved moods, greater learning and easier recalling of information.
In the present Filipino setting, students use different methods and strategies in facilitating
learning. They have various ways of perceiving information, thinking, and understanding
lessons. Usage of highlighters, color pens and pencils, colored bond papers, and the like are
rampant in schools and offices. Colors could either be a disadvantage or a motivating source to
students

in

their

learning

processes.

There are different types of colors, namely complementary, analogous, warm, cool, and
neutral colors. These types of colors can affect an individual's mind as well as his emotions and
moods. Right combination of colors is also given emphasis for it increases attention, and may
further improve retention of information. Colors under each types have psychological properties
which could affect the memory may it be for the memory's enhancement or deterioration.
To further understand the relationship of colors with the human mind, the researchers aim
to determine the role of colors in the enhancement and deterioration of memory as well as their
contributions to the Filipino educational and clinical settings. Also, this study aims to explain the
parts of the brain involved in memory processing.

THE ENHANCING AND DETERIORATING EFFECTS OF COLORS ON STUDENTS' MEMORY

This study will provide college students the necessary information to help them choose
the right strategies and methods to be used to facilitate learning. Also, this study will provide
students the ideas on what kind of environment should be avoided in order to not disrupt learning
of information.

THE ENHANCING AND DETERIORATING EFFECTS OF COLORS ON STUDENTS' MEMORY

Discussion
Memory is the ability of the brain to store, and access the learned effects of experiences
(Pinel, 2014). It gives humans the capabilities to adapt to the environment as well as to learn
from previous experiences.
There are three main processes that covers the information processing namely encoding,
storage, and retrieval. Encoding is the first step in creating a new memory. It is the process in
which mental representations humans perceive are put into the memory. There are three ways in
which information can be encoded acoustic, semantic, and visual encoding. Acoustic encoding
is for the processing of auditory information. On the other hand, semantic encoding is a deeper
level of processing in which words are given meaning and are related to a particular context.
Visual encoding is the process of encoding images and other visual information. After the
information has entered and has been encoded by the brain, it has to be retained. The second
process of information processing is storage. It is the process of putting information into the
brain in order to be used for further recall. To further understand process of storage,
psychologists Richard Atkinson and Richard Shiffrin provided an

influential three-staged

model. This model divides the memory into three stages: sensory, short-term, and long-term
memory (Atkinson & Shiffrin, 1968). All environmental stimuli will first reach the sensory
memory. The sensory memory then receives the stimuli in its unprocessed state for a short
period of time. There are two forms of sensory memory: iconic memory and echoic memory.
Iconic memory is a kind of sensory memory that holds visual information and lasts only for a
short span of time. On the other hand, echoic memory is another kind of sensory memory that
holds auditory information for about 1or 2 seconds (Plotnik & Kouyoumdjian, 2010).
Information that has been disregarded will then be forgotten whereas information that has been

THE ENHANCING AND DETERIORATING EFFECTS OF COLORS ON STUDENTS' MEMORY

given a certain amount of attention will automatically be transferred into the short-term memory.
Short-term memory is a storage that has a limited capacity and duration. It can hold an average
of seven items for approximately 20 seconds. Maintenance rehearsal, on the other hand, is the
frequent practicing of information. It can help keep information longer in the short-term memory.
Also, it helps store the information in the long-term memory. Long-term memory is the process
of storing unlimited amount of information for a long period of time. The final process of
information processing is retrieval. It is the process of recalling the information that has been
encoded and stored in the memory. It selects information from the long-term memory and
transfers it back to the short-term memory.
Areas associated with memory include the prefrontal cortex, which is located in the
frontal lobe and is referred to as the coordinator of short-term memory. Using brain imaging, the
prefrontal cortex is seen to be activated during maintenance rehearsal. Another part of the brain
that involves memory is the hippocampus. The hippocampus, located at the temporal lobe, is a
place where short-term memory must pass through repetitively for it to be turned into long-term.
The cerebral cortex, on the other hand, is the area where the information from the long-term
memory is placed.
For the areas involved in the sense of sight, the brain also activates many areas such as
the occipital lobe, the visual cortex, and the optic nerve. The optic nerve, also known as Cranial
Nerve II, is what connects the eyes and the brain. When light enters the eyes, it is turned into
electrical signals. These signals, in turn, traverse the optic nerve to reach the brain for sensation
and perception to occur. Occipital lobe, on the other hand, is the next step in the visual process.
After traveling through the optic nerve, the signals are processed. This part of the brain governs
the ability of a person to perceive the sense of sight. The final part involved is the visual cortex.

THE ENHANCING AND DETERIORATING EFFECTS OF COLORS ON STUDENTS' MEMORY

It is responsible for the ability to identify what an object is. It is also where sensory and motor
information synchronize with vision.
It is essential that an environmental stimulus has the potential and capacity to actuate
attention and be involved in the different approaches of information processing. If a certain
stimulus is processed and stored into the memory, retrieval of information can easily be
achieved. Recent researches have presented that environmental stimuli such as colors have the
potential to affect attention as well as to increase arousal and stimulate brain activity.
Slotnik (2009) stated that memory is thought to be a constructive process. It is from an
inference and is reflected from the synthesis of features which are processed in the different
cortical regions. Other investigators have suggested that color plays a highly specialized role in
some image segmentation tasks and in an introspective level, color coding appears to be
important for the rapid identification and recognition of object (Wichmann, Sharpe and
Gegenfurtner, 1995). It was discovered that chromatic information facilitated object naming
(Humphrey, Goodale, Jacobson, & Servos, 1994). Chromatic information is the naming of
objects related to the color perceived having greater than zero saturation.
Mapelli and Behrmann (1997) assert that the surface color only aids recognition of object
if the shape cues being used are equivocal. Also, the advantage of color is that it is of top-down
knowledge, not sensory surface information. Identification and recognition of objects might
predominantly tap into a edge-based, structural object recognition memory system (Wichmann,
et. Al., 1995). Hanna and Remington (1996) found that color is a part of memory representation.
Both color and form can be represented separately and retrieved independently, and that the
binding of color and form requires attention. The color and the information are not automatically

THE ENHANCING AND DETERIORATING EFFECTS OF COLORS ON STUDENTS' MEMORY

connected in memory rather, attention and active processing are prerequisites for the encoding
specificity effect (Martinez, 2010). Encoding specificity effect is a principle that explains how
contextual information can influence memory. The principle states that memory is enhanced
when the information found in the encoding process is also accessible at the retrieval process.
For example, recall of information would be effective if the room used by an individual when
studying would be the same room he will use when taking the test.
Colors are among the properties of an object that provides sensations as a result of
different wavelengths of light. Dzulkifli and Mustafar (2013) contended that colors have been an
essential part of the world. They activate the senses, and serve as stimuli. They have an important
contribution to the human perception, and act as a way in discovering cognitive developments.
According to Dzulkifli and Mustafar (2013), color is the most powerful stimulus for the
brain. Because color opens up other areas of the brain, it allows greater and easier learning and
remembering of information. For instance, a person can easily be attracted to a certain color.
Colors are directly noticed by our working memory and they give the brain a function to
remember them. As per Farely and Grant's studies (1976), viewing colored multimedia
presentation resulted to better attention and memory performance of the brain. Dzulkifli and
Mustafar (2013) argued that the right combination of colors is essential because it can improve
memory retention and can produce higher level of contrast. Higher level of contrast pertains to
the hue and brightness of colors. Higher level of contrast can attract attention and provide a
more noticeable object and information.
The relationship of color and memory plays a role in achieving better academic
excellence. With the use of color, the students will be able to enhance their cognitive abilities

THE ENHANCING AND DETERIORATING EFFECTS OF COLORS ON STUDENTS' MEMORY

with regards to how they perceive, pay attention, remember, and understand the lessons.
Huchendorf (2007) asserts that warm colors of the scheme can help an individual recall more
characters than those of the cool colors. Warm colors such as red, yellow and orange tend to be
more stimulating, help increase brain activity and arousal of an individual. According to King
(2014), having warm colors as a background of a classroom can bring exhilaration as well as
eagerness to students, therefore increasing their brain activity. Such colors could be helpful if
the teacher's goal is to get the students' attention onto specific pieces of information. On the other
hand, warm colors are deemed to be unsuitable and inappropriate when the task given to students
is to study, read, or work quietly.
Cool colors such as green, violet, and blue are for calmness and relaxation, but they do
not have much arousing effects such as those of warm colors. Based on King's research (2014),
cool colors can provide tranquility and can slow down the heart rate. Different shades of blue and
purple are recommended for the walls of libraries. These colors could help students focus more
on their reading tasks. Meanwhile, shades of green are helpful to those individuals focusing on
art works, and those who are trying to unleash their creative juices through literary pieces.
Right choice of colors is essential because various age groups behave differently to
colors. Inappropriate use of colors could eventually lead to anxiety, lack of focus, inefficiency
and stress (Mahnke, 1996). Light shades of blue are effective to those classrooms where anxiety
and tension levels are often high. This kind of color shade can bring a tranquil and relaxing effect
to students. According to Mahnke (1996), warm and bright colors such as light salmon, warm
yellow, pale yellow-orange and peach are recommended for preschool classrooms because they
complement the active and lively nature of the children. For middle and high school classrooms,

THE ENHANCING AND DETERIORATING EFFECTS OF COLORS ON STUDENTS' MEMORY

10

cool colors are highly recommended because it reduces tension, and help students concentrate
more.
According to Gaines and Curry (2011), it is important that the functional aspects of
colors are given more consideration than their aesthical purposes. Over-stimulation of colors can
lead to sensory overload. On the contrary, under-stimulation of colors can lead to unproductivity
and stress.
Warm Colors: Stimulating and increasing an individual's arousal
Red is the most intense color and has longest
wavelength. It stimulates and increases arousal
and pulse rate. It draws attention to specific
information.
Orange is a combination of both red and
yellow. It is considered as a fun color. It
stimulates, and provides students the drive to
accomplish their work.
Yellow, similar with the other warm colors,
stimulates brain activity. Commonly used when
studying, it helps remember the key points in a
certain piece.
Cool Colors: Offers tranquility and relaxation; reduces tension
Blue is considered as the color of the mind.
Strong shades of blue stimulates thoughts
whereas light shades of blue provides calmness
and improves concentration.
Green represents balance. Shades of green are
effective in stimulating creative thinking. It is
appropriate for libraries.
Purple balance both red and blue. It uplifts the
mood and atmosphere of individuals. It gives
calmness, and unleashes inner creativity.
Table 1.A. Effects of Warm and Cool Colors

THE ENHANCING AND DETERIORATING EFFECTS OF COLORS ON STUDENTS' MEMORY

11

Appropriate choice of colors in some learning materials are also deemed necessary. Using
colors on bulletin boards also add interest to the students. The colors must be balanced and
should complement each other. Too much use of colors can be overwhelming to students thus
could lead to distraction. Information on the particular board could not be processed by the brain
thoroughly.
According to Dzulkifli and Mustafar (2013), some interventions in clinical settings
involve the use of color to be effective in dealing with memory-related problems like autism,
dyslexia, and other learning difficulties. Clinical intervention for patients with dyslexia and
autism with the use of colors have been proven to be effective in reducing difficulties in reading.
For an instance, reading assessment was conducted to patients with autism using materials with
colored overlay and one without a colored overlay. A 35% percent improvement on the reading
speed was reported for the autistic patients reading with colored overlay compared to those who
used non-colored overlay. Color is also used to treat patients with Alzheimer's Disease. It is a
neurodegenerative form of dementia which deteriorates memory abilities. The use of colors to
improve the memory performance of patients with Alzheimer Disease was found effective.
Research has shown that vivid color cues can contribute to the enhancement of memory
performance of Alzheimer Disease patients (J Autism Dev Disord, 2009).

Conclusion

THE ENHANCING AND DETERIORATING EFFECTS OF COLORS ON STUDENTS' MEMORY

12

Memory is an active, core mental process of the brain where information can be encoded,
stored, and retrieved. Three main processes involved in the information processing of memory
are encoding, storage, and retrieval. Encoding is the taking in of information and processing it in
acoustic, semantic, or visual form. Storage, on the other hand, is the process of retaining the
information in the sensory memory, short-term memory, or be fully transferred into the long-term
memory. Areas of the brain included in the memory processes are the prefrontal cortex,
hippocampus, and the cerebral cortex. On the other hand, the areas working for the operation of
the sense of sight are activated by the brain. These parts are optic nerve, occipital lobe and the
visual cortex.
An environmental stimulus such as colors have the capacity and potential to attract
attention, and be involved in the different memory processes. Colors are among the properties of
an object that affects the visual perception of an individual. They are usually determined through
their attributes such as hue, saturation, and brightness of the reflected light. Being a powerful
environmental stimulus, color activates different areas of the brain. It influences attention,
behavior and achievement of an individual. Warm colors of the scheme such as red, yellow, and
orange are more stimulating, help increase arousal and brain activity. These colors are helpful in
focusing attention into specific details. In contrast, cool colors such as blue, green, and violet can
provide relaxation and tranquility. These colors provide a positive feeling and calmness among
learners.
Memory and color are related because identification and association of a color to
an object can affect the retention of the information in the brain. Since colors are found
everywhere, it continuously stimulates the brain by activating the senses and connecting pieces
of information to identify the object, thus affecting memory. It has been seen that different colors

THE ENHANCING AND DETERIORATING EFFECTS OF COLORS ON STUDENTS' MEMORY

13

have various effects on learning, since it can affect a person's attention, understanding, and recall
of an information.
Right selection of colors is necessary because various age groups react differently to
colors. The appropriate choice of colors in the learning environment is important for it makes
the students' interest higher, reduces tension and helps students concentrate more. Inappropriate
choice of colors can lead to anxiety, inefficiency, unproductivity, lack of focus, and stress.
Functional purposes should also be considered; aesthetical values of colors should not be on top
priority.

References

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Dzulkifili, M. & Mustafar, M. (2013). The influence of colour on memory performance:

a review. The Malaysian Journal of Medical Sciences, 20(2), 3-9.
Gaines, K. S., & Curry, Z. D. (2011). The inclusive classroom: The effects of color on
learning and behavior. Journal of Family and Consumer Sciences Education, 29(1), 46-57.
Jan, J. (2014). How colors can enhance memory performance. Retrieved from
https://blog.edynco.com/instructional-design/how-colors-can-enhance-memory-performance/.
Stannard, L. (2011) Parts of the brain involved in memory. Retrieved from
http://www.livestrong.com/article/75693-parts-brain-involved-memory/.
Huchendorf, L. (2007). The effects of color on memory. UW-L Journal of Undergraduate
Research X.
Wichmann, F.A., Sharpe, L.T., & Gegenfurtner, K.R. (2002). The contribution of color to
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and Cognition, 28, 509-520.