What does the color pink mean in psychology?

Beyond representing the feminine, pink is linked to a Wide range of concepts.

In Western culture, the color pink has traditionally been associated with sweetness, tenderness and romance. But where does this come from? As with other colors, the color pink is closely linked to the values and practices of our culture, which, when perpetuated, generate social codes and individual perceptions of objects in the world.

This has been widely investigated by the psychology of colors, thus generating different answers about the meanings of the color pinkand its connotations or effects in cultural terms. We will see below a brief description of this.

Psychology of the chromatic

Among other things, the psychology of colors has taught us that chromatic stimuli are an active part of our development.. They are found in our environment and, moreover, they are not neutral stimuli: they are loaded with cultural meanings, while allowing us to evoke sensations, perceptions, thoughts, ideas, judgments, attitudes, and so on. In other words, they generate effects at the psychological level.

They can even predispose us to act, for example, if we encounter a red signal, it is likely that our nervous system alarms are automatically activated and we will prepare ourselves to flee from possible harm. Or, without necessarily being aware of it, colors can influence the attachments we feel towards certain objectswhich ultimately has consequences for our approach to them.

This is so because by perceiving colors, we activate certain impressions on objects, that is, through them we can condition our perception of what surrounds us. This happens because of the symbolic meanings that we have placed on them over time.

For example, during the association of colors with natural phenomena and elements, and also through their association with cultural variables. Goethe already said that colors, which are ultimately sensory encodings of the decomposition of natural light, produce an individual effect always linked to the moral sphere. Thus, colors carry social codes and carry with them the opportunity to establish taxonomies and individual positions, permanently linked to social norms.

Specifically, the color pink is obtained from the mixture of red and white, and its name in English comes precisely from the varieties of rose bushes that have flourished in many parts of the world. This word comes from Latin and Greek, which were used to name the same flower, and which in turn come from a proto-Indo-European root meaning "hawthorn".

Meaning of the color pink in psychology

According to research by Eva Heller (2004), a pioneer in studies on color psychology, pink increases its preference index according to people's age.. Being a youthful color, it tends to be more valued by older people.

It also tends to evoke positive feelings related to kindness, gentleness, softness, as well as childishness and dreaminess. However, this itself generates an ambivalent meaning, because is also related to "cheesiness", which can provoke rejection for many people..

This becomes more complex when pink is mixed with other colors. For example, next to white it can represent innocence; and next to black and violet it can be related to eroticism and seduction. Also when mixed with black it can be associated with the tensions between the delicate and the rough, sensitivity and insensitivity.

To study the above, Manav (2007) evaluated the relationship between emotions and chromatic stimuli, finding that the sensations of feelings of enjoyment, joy and warmth were were mainly related to pink and yellow stimuli.

What was striking was the practical use derived from this association. For example, participants showed a preference for placing the color pink inside their rooms, and especially in rooms where children sleep.

Some cultural connotations of this color

We have seen that in Western culture the color pink has traditionally been related to the ethereal, sweet and pleasant, love, tenderness and innocence. ethereal, sweet and pleasant, love, tenderness and innocence.. It has also been associated with optimism, which we see, for example, in phrases such as "everything is pink".

On the other hand, in Catholicism, the color pink has been used to represent joy, and in some countries also in the West, the political use of pink or light red symbolizes socialism.

In addition, the color pink in some Eastern countries such as in Japan has an association with eroticismwhile in Western Europe it is associated with novels and romantic stories as well as with private surroundings and intimacy. On the other hand, in feng shui (which relates colors to daily activities), the color pink is linked to marriage and emotional bonds.

Pink and gender stereotypes

The above has been closely connected with Western imaginaries of the feminine, which have ultimately perpetrated a series of gender stereotypes.which have ultimately perpetrated a series of gender stereotypes. In this context, the color pink has been linked to values associated with femininity, and has had a major impact on gender binary education.

This is visible, for example, in the whole range of products aimed at girls and women that are presented using this color. From the first toys and the simplest accessories to personal hygiene utensils, objects in the domestic space, or the festivities related to motherhood and love, all of which are presented in this color..

Regarding the meanings associated with the color pink and its gender differences, Rivera (2001) found that women relate pink with "tranquility" and with the adjectives "pretty", "tender" and "cute". For their part, men associated pink with "pig," "babies," "sausage," "meat," "ugly," "woman," "ham," "nothing," and "horrible." Their study participants had in common the association of pink with "tenderness," "skin," "girl," "love," and "cake."

Some studies on the history of the use of colors indicate that the strong gender symbolism of pink began in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in Western Europe and the United States, when care homes for abandoned infants began to differentiate boys and girls with light blue and pink colors, respectively. In more recent times, since the sexual revolutions and gender demands, the color pink has gradually changed, the color pink has gradually modified its uses, normalizing, for exampleFor example, it has been normalized to be worn on men's clothing.

Bibliographical references:

• Clarke, T. and Costall, A. (2008). The Emotional Connotations of Color: A Qualitative Investigation. Color Research and application, 33(5): 406-410.
• Heller, E. (2004). Color psychology. How colors act on feelings and reason. Editorial Gustavo Gili: Spain.
• Koller, V. (2008). 'Not just a colour': pink as a gender and sexuality marker in visual communication. Visual communication, 7(4): 395-423.
• Llorente, C. (2018). Comparative analysis of chromatic symbology in advertising. Nike in China and Spain. Vivat Academica. Journal of Communication, 142: 51-78.
• Manav, B. (2007). Color-Emotion Associations and Color Preferences: A Case Study for Residences. Color Research and Application, 32(2): 145-151.
• Rivera, M. A. (2001). Perception and meaning of color in different social groups. Revista Imagen, 53: 74-83.