Emotional Responses to Colour – Using the Repertory Grid Technique

Introduction

Colour plays a crucial role in evoking emotions in individuals and is a subject of growing interest in psychology, design and marketing. The study “Understanding Individuals' Emotional Responses to Colour: The Repertory Grid Technique” by Saadet Akbay and Sibel Ertez Ural examines emotional responses to colour and introduces the Repertory Grid Technique (RGT) as an innovative method for measuring these responses. This article provides an in-depth scientific analysis of the study and its implications for further colour research and practical applications in design and marketing.

The Repertory Grid Technique (RGT)

The Repertory Grid Technique, developed by George Kelly in the 1950s, is a methodology that enables individuals to identify and categorise their personal emotions and constructs regarding colour. This approach is based on comparing three elements (triad elicitation) to form personal constructs. In the context of colour research, RGT is used to establish which emotions colours evoke in individuals, without predetermined emotional scales.

Methodology

The study involved ten students from the Department of Interior Architecture and Environmental Design at Bilkent University. Participants with normal colour vision took part in a session in which they assessed five basic colours (red, yellow, green, blue, purple). Each session consisted of a colour blindness test, emotion elicitation and colour assessment. Participants were asked to rate each colour on emotional scales they had created themselves, ranging from negative (1) to positive (7) on a seven-point rating scale.