Color Theory & Psychology Flashcards

A designer wants to create a split-complementary color scheme starting from violet. Which two hues complete the scheme?

Answer: Yellow-green and yellow-orange

A split-complementary of violet uses the two hues flanking its complement (yellow): yellow-green and yellow-orange.

Which psychological effect describes the phenomenon where red objects appear to advance toward the viewer spatially?

Answer: Chromostereopsis

Chromostereopsis is the perceptual illusion where certain wavelengths (especially red) appear closer than others (blue) due to chromatic aberration.

In the CIELAB color space, the 'b*' axis represents which color dimension?

Answer: Blue-yellow

In CIELAB, b* runs from blue (negative values) to yellow (positive values), while a* covers red-green.

A retailer uses bright yellow signage to draw attention to sale items. Which psychological principle is being applied?

Answer: High luminosity increases visual salience

Yellow has the highest luminosity among hues and naturally attracts the eye, making it effective for attention-grabbing signage.

The Purkinje shift describes a change in color sensitivity that occurs when:

Answer: Moving from photopic (bright) to scotopic (dim) vision

The Purkinje shift is the eye's shift in peak sensitivity from ~555 nm (photopic) toward ~507 nm (scotopic) as light levels drop.

Which color scheme uses four hues equally spaced around the color wheel?

Answer: Tetradic (square)

A tetradic or square scheme uses four hues at 90° intervals on the color wheel, offering rich contrast and variety.

Research in color psychology consistently shows that blue is associated with which of the following traits in branding?

Answer: Trustworthiness and competence

Blue is the most trusted color in branding research, consistently linked to reliability, competence, and professionalism.