The Two-Dimensional Impact of Color on Shopping

Prior research has typically grouped color effects into a single class of effects and has ignored situational aspects of consumer responses to color. In the present study, color effects are shown to exhibit different patterns depending on the type of response examined. Further, these effects are described as a function of color wavelength. Evaluative effects are most positive at the short wavelength (blue) end of the visible spectrum, while the activation response engendered by color exhibits a U-shaped pattern across wavelengths. Results of the study support the existence of these two distinct dimensions, and potential applications of the findings are discussed.