Color Theory & Psychology Flashcards

In additive color mixing, combining red and green light produces:

Answer: Yellow

In additive mixing (light), red + green = yellow, because both wavelengths stimulate the L and M cones equally.

A fashion designer selects a dusty rose palette for a spring collection. This color is best described as a:

Answer: Tone (hue + gray)

A dusty, muted rose results from adding gray to the base hue, which is the definition of a tone.

Research on color and appetite shows that which color combination is most commonly used by fast food brands to stimulate hunger?

Answer: Red and yellow

Red stimulates appetite and urgency while yellow evokes happiness and speed — a combination widely adopted by fast food brands.

Which perceptual phenomenon explains why a small color swatch looks more saturated than a large area of the same color?

Answer: Area effect (simultaneous contrast at scale)

The area effect describes how larger color fields appear lighter and more saturated than small swatches of the identical paint or fabric.

In the context of color harmony, 'tension' is introduced most effectively by pairing:

Answer: Complementary hues at full saturation

Complementary hues at full saturation create maximum contrast and visual tension, making compositions dynamic and energetic.

Which term describes the phenomenon where two color samples match under one light source but not another?

Answer: Metamerism

Metamerism occurs when two colors with different spectral reflectance curves appear identical under one illuminant but differ under another.

A color professional refers to a hue as 'advancing.' This means the color tends to:

Answer: Appear closer to the viewer than it physically is

Warm, high-saturation hues (reds, oranges) are called 'advancing' because they perceptually project toward the viewer, making spaces feel smaller.