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Does red undermine individuals' intellectual performance? A test in China
Author(s) -
Shi Jiaxin,
Zhang Chao,
Jiang Feng
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
international journal of psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.75
H-Index - 62
eISSN - 1464-066X
pISSN - 0020-7594
DOI - 10.1002/ijop.12076
Subject(s) - connotation , china , psychology , test (biology) , intellectual development , intellectual ability , social psychology , developmental psychology , political science , law , cognition , paleontology , philosophy , linguistics , neuroscience , biology
Previous research shows that red impairs individuals' performance on challenging intellectual tasks in achievement situations. However, no research to date has examined this issue in Chinese society. In China, red has a positive connotation in general (unlike in the West), but also has a negative connotation for students, given that teachers mark incorrect answers in red (like in the West). Therefore, the question of whether red promotes or undermines intellectual performance for Chinese individuals needs to be tested. The present research investigated this and found, consistent with findings obtained in the West, that red undermined the intellectual performance of Chinese students. Future directions and potential mechanisms are discussed.