RED Is “Happy” but Also “Gloomy”: The Influence of Young People on Color Preference and Emotional Changes During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted human psychological and emotional states, influencing behaviors, including color preferences. This study aimed to explore how the pandemic affected people’s color preferences and emotional responses, shedding light on the broader implications for psychological well-being. A total of 231 participants were divided into two groups based on the depth to which they were affected by the pandemic, considering factors such as personality, family, friends, work/lessons, relationships, and consumption. The findings revealed four key results: (1) participants’ preference for cooler colors such as blue and green increased, reflecting a need for calmness and stability during heightened stress, while their preference for warm colors decreased. (2) Personal consumption was identified as the most severely impacted area. (3) The pandemic reduced people’s overall preference for warm colors. (4) The pandemic triggered strong negative and contradictory emotions. These results highlight the significant shift towards cooler colors, which are associated with calmness, and suggest important applications in design, marketing, and mental health initiatives. Understanding the psychological effects of the pandemic on color preferences provides valuable insights across multiple fields and emphasizes the importance of adapting to the reshaped aspects of human behavior in the face of future challenges.

1. Introduction

Color perception refers to the emotional experience people have when they see a certain color, for example, red may make people feel nervous, excited, etc. These experiences are ubiquitous in human physiological and psychological responses; in addition, they are usually objective and stable. In general, warm colors are often associated with pleasure and excitement, while cool colors are generally associated with calmness and composure [1,2,3]. Extant studies point out that warm colors such as red, orange, and yellow are often seen as colors of vibrancy, enthusiasm, and energy, which can evoke emotions and actions in people. Therefore, they are often used in marketing activities such as promotions and advertisements. Cooler tones like blue, green, and purple are often considered calm and peaceful colors that can elicit a tranquil and relaxing effect and are therefore often used in art and design. For example, they are used in places such as hospitals and schools. However, the emotional effects of these colors may vary according to factors such as culture, gender, age, and personal experience.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, people’s perception of color has changed dramatically. There has been a wealth of research examining how people’s color preferences have changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was found that the color preference of most people changed; especially, the preference for red and orange decreased, while the preference for green and blue increased [4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12]. These studies believe that these results may be due to the uncertainty, anxiety, and stress brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic; with people more eager for a stable and calm emotional experience, they have more favorable feelings towards cool colors such as blue and green, suggestive of comfortability. Conversely, red and orange are often perceived as exciting and energetic colors that may increase anxiety and stress; so, preference for these colors has declined during the pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly reshaped people’s psychological states, elevating levels of stress and anxiety [13]. Cultural norms further mediate these preferences, as colors may carry unique symbolic meanings in different regions [3]. Environmental changes, such as increased indoor living, may also enhance preferences for calming or bright colors that uplift moods.

However, some studies suggest otherwise. For example, the participants’ emotional value assigned to red, orange, yellow, and green increased, while their emotional value to green and blue decreased [14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23]. A possible explanation proposed by these studies is that bright and warm colors may provide emotional comfort and positive psychological stimulation, making them more popular. Conversely, cool and dark tones of color may evoke negative emotions in people, making them favored by fewer people.

The reasons for the above-mentioned differences in color preference can be based on gender [13,24,25], educational background [26], intellectual development [27], and culture [28]. These factors allow the psychological and emotional state of the participants to influence their preferences for different colors. Therefore, more research is needed to further explore the influence of these factors on participants’ color preference.

This study aimed to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on participants’ psychological and emotional states as reflected in their color preferences. Drawing on previous studies, this study proposed two hypotheses: (1) that heightened stress during the pandemic led to increased preferences for cooler, calming colors, and (2) that warmer colors, typically associated with energy, evoked heightened negative emotions in pandemic contexts. Therefore, this study aims to explore the impact of the epidemic on people’s color preferences and emotional responses, in order to understand the impact of the epidemic on people’s psychological and emotional states. This study argues that understanding how the pandemic affects people’s emotional and psychological states, and how this is reflected in their color preferences, can help businesses adapt to consumers’ changing needs and preferences. It is also possible to adjust people’s emotional state by choosing appropriate colors, thereby improving people’s quality of life and health.

2. Method

2.1. Participants

This study invited 231 participants aged 18 to 30 (107 males; 124 females; mean age = 22.96 years; SD = 2.71) to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and how it influenced participants’ color preferences and emotional responses using a 7-point Likert scale, including the following dimensions: personality, family, friends, work/lessons, relationships, and consumption. Then, the participants were divided into two groups that were more (181 people, more than 3.5 scores) and less (50 people, less than 3.5 scores) affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants were recruited through targeted social media campaigns and email invitations to maximize diversity in the sample. The experimental standards of this study were approved by the China Medical University & Hospital Research Ethics Center of Taiwan. Written informed consent was obtained from all participants prior to participation.

2.2. Adjective Pairs

To establish a foundation for this study’s exploration of color preferences and emotional responses, a systematic review and refinement of the literature on color-related emotional adjectives was conducted. First, comprehensive previous research [29,30,31,32,33,34] collected about 185 sets of color emotional adjectives. Identical, similar, and irrelevant words were deleted, and 60 pairs of color emotion adjectives were sorted out.

Table 1. Average of the top ten color adjectives.

Ranking	No.	Code	Adjectives (Positive–Negative)	Mean	S.D.
1	54	A1	shiny–dull	6.40	0.84
2	27	A2	warm–cold	6.00	1.89
3	45	A3	light–heavy	6.00	1.16
4	36	A4	bright–dark	5.80	1.87
5	7	A5	enthusiastic–indifferent	5.70	1.95
6	9	A6	sweet–bitter	5.70	1.57
7	1	A7	fresh–cloudy	5.60	1.84
8	2	A8	luxurious–plain	5.60	1.96
9	14	A9	happy–gloomy	5.60	1.90
10	24	A10	calm–restless	5.30	2.06

shows the top 10 color-related adjectives ranked by their mean scores. The top three adjectives are shiny–dull (mean = 6.40), warm–cold (mean = 6.00), and light–heavy (mean = 6.00). This indicates that participants preferred emotional tones associated with lightness and warmth, with shiny–dull showing the highest consistency (lowest standard deviation). These results reflect participants’ preference for light and warm colors during the pandemic. The detailed calculation and selection process can be found in Appendix A and Appendix B.

2.3. Color Samples

This study is based on previous studies suggesting hues suitable for young consumers [31,34] to choose the VIVID color system of the PCCS color system. PCCS (Practical Color Coordinate System), developed by the Japan Color Research Institute, is a widely recognized color classification framework. This system classifies colors according to three basic dimensions: hue, saturation, and brightness, which are critical to understanding human color perception [35]. The VIVID category is colors with high saturation and brightness, known for their strong visual impact and ability to inspire strong emotional responses. These bright colors are often used in design and marketing to attract attention and influence consumer behavior [36].

Table 2. VIVID color of PCCS system.

Code	Picture	Color Name	Color No.	Saturation	Brightness
C1		RED	5R6/12	C32	L50
C2		ORANGE	7YR6/12	C50	L50
C3		ORANGE-YELLOW	8YR7/12	C70	L50
C4		YELLOW-GREEN	8Y8/12	C70	L70
C5		GREEN	6GY6/12	C50	L50
C6		BLUE-GREEN	7.5BG6/12	C50	L40
C7		GREEN-LAKE	7.5PB6/12	C50	L40
C8		NAVY-BLUE	7.5PB6/14	C40	L40
C9		BLUE	7.5PB5/14	C40	L30
C10		BLUE-PURPLE	5PB4/12	C28	L30
C11		PURPLE	5RP4/10	C24	L30
C12		FUCHSIA	5RP4/14	C28	L40
C13		BLACK	-	C0	L0
C14		GREY	-	C0	L50
C15		WHITE	-	C0	L100

Note: (1) Color Name: the standard names for colors, such as RED and ORANGE. (2) Color No.: standardized color codes, such as 5R6/12, indicating the hue, saturation, and brightness of a color. (3) Saturation: the purity of the color, with higher values indicating greater saturation. (4) Brightness: the lightness or darkness of a color, ranging from L0 (darkest) to L100 (brightest).

highlights the distribution of saturation and brightness for 15 colors in the PCCS system: RED, ORANGE, ORANGE-YELLOW, YELLOW-GREEN, GREEN, BLUE-GREEN, GREEN-LAKE, NAVY-BLUE, BLUE, BLUE-PURPLE, PURPLE, FUCHSIA, BLACK, GRAY, and WHITE were used as color samples. For example, RED (C1): 5R6/12 is a set of codes used to describe color properties, indicating the RED hue (5R), high saturation (C32), and medium brightness (L50) of a color.

2.4. Questionnaire Design

The questionnaire was specifically designed to measure changes in participants’ color preferences and emotional associations during the pandemic, as well as the extent to which different aspects of their lives were affected. The questionnaire is divided into two parts (

Table 3. Questionnaire.

Part I. Basic Information Survey
Gender: ☐Male ☐Female
Age: _________________
Your favorite color “before” the COVID-19 pandemic: ☐RED ☐ORANGE ☐ORANGE-YELLOW ☐YELLOW-GREEN ☐GREEN ☐BLUE-GREEN ☐GREEN-LAKE ☐NAVY-BLUE ☐BLUE ☐BLUE-PURPLE ☐PURPLE ☐FUCHSIA ☐BLACK ☐GREY ☐WHITE
Your favorite color “after” the COVID-19 pandemic: ☐RED ☐ORANGE ☐ORANGE-YELLOW ☐YELLOW-GREEN ☐GREEN ☐BLUE-GREEN ☐GREEN-LAKE ☐NAVY-BLUE ☐BLUE ☐BLUE-PURPLE ☐PURPLE ☐FUCHSIA ☐BLACK ☐GREY ☐WHITE
How much do you think the COVID-19 pandemic has affected “Personality”? ☐Strongly Disagree ☐Disagree ☐Slightly Disagree ☐Neutral ☐Slightly Agree ☐Agree ☐Strongly Agree
How much do you think the COVID-19 pandemic has affected “Family”? ☐Strongly Disagree ☐Disagree ☐Slightly Disagree ☐Neutral ☐Slightly Agree ☐Agree ☐Strongly Agree
How much do you think the COVID-19 pandemic has affected “Friends”? ☐Strongly Disagree ☐Disagree ☐Slightly Disagree ☐Neutral ☐Slightly Agree ☐Agree ☐Strongly Agree
How much do you think the COVID-19 pandemic has affected “Work/Lessons”? ☐Strongly Disagree ☐Disagree ☐Slightly Disagree ☐Neutral ☐Slightly Agree ☐Agree ☐Strongly Agree
How much do you think the COVID-19 pandemic has affected “Relationships”? ☐Strongly Disagree ☐Disagree ☐Slightly Disagree ☐Neutral ☐Slightly Agree ☐Agree ☐Strongly Agree
How much do you think the COVID-19 pandemic has affected “Consumption”? ☐Strongly Disagree ☐Disagree ☐Slightly Disagree ☐Neutral ☐Slightly Agree ☐Agree ☐Strongly Agree
Part II. Assess suitability between 15 colors and 10 pairs of adjectives (positive–negative)
Sample	Code	Positive	7-Point Scale (1 = Strongly Disagree/7 = Strongly Agree)	Negative
(Taking RED as an example)	A1	shiny	1☐ 2☐ 3☐ 4☐ 5☐ 6☐ 7☐	dull
	A2	warm	1☐ 2☐ 3☐ 4☐ 5☐ 6☐ 7☐	cold
	A3	light	1☐ 2☐ 3☐ 4☐ 5☐ 6☐ 7☐	heavy
	A4	bright	1☐ 2☐ 3☐ 4☐ 5☐ 6☐ 7☐	dark
	A5	enthusiastic	1☐ 2☐ 3☐ 4☐ 5☐ 6☐ 7☐	indifferent
	A6	sweet	1☐ 2☐ 3☐ 4☐ 5☐ 6☐ 7☐	bitter
	A7	fresh	1☐ 2☐ 3☐ 4☐ 5☐ 6☐ 7☐	cloudy
	A8	luxurious	1☐ 2☐ 3☐ 4☐ 5☐ 6☐ 7☐	plain
	A9	happy	1☐ 2☐ 3☐ 4☐ 5☐ 6☐ 7☐	gloomy
	A10	calm	1☐ 2☐ 3☐ 4☐ 5☐ 6☐ 7☐	restless

Note 1: (1)”Personality”: the pandemic may make some people pay more attention to health and safety, so it may change the original daily habits, behavior, or personality. (2) “Family”: during the pandemic, family members may need to stay at home for a long time, and getting along with each other will also cause stress, including emotional instability, tension, anxiety, etc., which may increase conflicts among family members. (3) “Friends”: the pandemic has caused people to have negative emotional effects, such as anxiety and depression, which may reduce people’s willingness to actively participate in social activities. (4) “Work/Lessons”: people are unable to go to work and classes physically, and instead work and teach remotely. (5) “Relationships”: people are less willing to go out, affecting the frequency of physical contact and face-to-face communication. (6) “Consumption”: the pandemic has changed people’s consumption patterns, such as online shopping and takeout/delivery. Note 2: evaluate the suitability of each color with these 10 adjectives. This table uses RED as an example. The scores represent the emotional polarity of color-related adjectives. A smaller score indicates a stronger association with positive adjectives, reflecting favorable emotional responses (e.g., shiny, warm, and bright). Conversely, a larger score indicates a stronger association with negative adjectives, reflecting unfavorable emotional responses (e.g., dull, cold, and heavy). This scoring approach allows for a clear comparison of participants’ emotional associations with different colors.

). Part I is the basic information survey: gender, age, color preferences before and after the pandemic, and the degree of impact of the pandemic in six areas (such as personality, family, friends, work/lessons, relationships, and consumption). In Part II, participants were asked to evaluate the suitability between 15 colors and 10 pairs of adjectives, using a 7-point scale (1 = Strongly Disagree/7 = Strongly Agree). Smaller scores indicate stronger positive associations (e.g., shiny, warm, and bright), while larger scores reflect stronger negative associations (e.g., dull, cold, and heavy). This approach enables clear comparison of participants’ emotional responses to different colors. Data were collected through an online survey hosted on Google Forms for ensuring participant safety and accessibility during the COVID-19 pandemic.

2.5. Data Analysis

SPSS statistical software 24 [37] was utilized to analyze the questionnaire data, determining the impact of the pandemic on participants’ color perception. An independent sample t-test was adopted, with “Group” (Low (L) and High (H) affected by the pandemic) as the independent variable and 15 colors (RED, ORANGE, ORANGE-YELLOW, YELLOW-GREEN, GREEN, BLUE-GREEN, GREEN-LAKE, NAVY-BLUE, BLUE, BLUE-PURPLE, PURPLE, FUCHSIA, BLACK, GREY, and WHITE) as the dependent variables. Then, for the colors with significant differences, a second independent sample t-test was carried out, with “grouping” (lowly affected by the pandemic (L) and highly affected by the pandemic (H)) as independent variables and 10 groups of “adjective pairs” (shiny–dull, warm–cold, light–heavy, bright–dark, enthusiastic–indifferent, sweet–bitter, fresh–cloudy, luxurious–plain, happy–gloomy, and calm–restless) as the dependent variables.

3. Results

3.1. Changes in Personal Preference Color Before and After the Pandemic

Figure 1 shows that there are different changes in personal preferences before and after the pandemic. It was found that RED, ORANGE–YELLOW, and ORANGE are the top three favorite colors, while the three most unfavorable colors are FUCHSIA, PURPLE, and BLUE–PURPLE. Through the paired sample t-test, it was found that there was a significant change in personal preferences before and after the pandemic (t[621] = −7.26, p = 0.000). In particular, the number of the most popular RED and ORANGE selections dropped significantly after the pandemic. The number of GREEN-LAKE, WHITE, and GRAY selections increased after the pandemic.

3.2. The Impact of Pandemic on Personality, Family, Friends, Work/Lessons, Relationships, and Consumption

Table 4. The average of the degree of impact of the pandemic on these six fields.

Fields	Mean	S.D.
Personality	4.11	1.45
Family	3.33	1.58
Friends	3.74	1.65
Work/Lessons	4.34	1.59
Relationships	4.35	1.54
Consumption	5.05	1.83

Note: The gray background represents the selected adjective pairs for testing.

shows that family (mean = 3.33) and friends (mean = 3.74) are least affected by pandemic. Consumption (mean = 5.05) is the most affected by pandemic, which may be based on the fact that online shopping replaces traditional consumption patterns. In addition, relationships (mean = 4.35) can be replaced by online video conferences and online calls for physical face-to-face, so people are more affected by pandemic on the interpersonal network.

3.3. The Impact of Pandemic on Overall Emotional Perception

Figure 2 shows the participants’ perceptions of different emotions regarding their pandemic level. An independent sample t-test shows that participants affected by different pandemic levels have significantly different emotional feelings, including the following: A2 (warm–cool), A3 (light–heavy), A4 (bright–dark), A5 (enthusiastic–indifferent), A7 (fresh–cloudy), A8 (luxurious–plain), A9 (happy–gloomy) (t[229] = −2.57, p = 0.012; t[229] = −2.36, p = 0.019; t[229] = −2.50, p = 0.013; t[229] = −3.26, p = 0.001; t[229] = −2.22, p = 0.027; t[229] = −2.30, p = 0.024; t[229] = −3.15, p = 0.002; t[229] = −3.07, p = 0.002, respectively).

3.4. The Impact of Pandemic on the Emotional Perception of Overall Color

Figure 3 shows the average emotional perception impact of the pandemic for different colors. An independent sample t-test shows that people who are severely affected by the pandemic have many negative emotional feelings for the colors RED, ORANGE, GREEN, BLUE-GREEN, GREEN-LAKE, BLUE, FUCHSIA, and WHITE (t[229] = −2.57, p = 0.012; t[229] = −1.95, p = 0.054; t[229] = −2.20, p = 0.031; t[229] = −2.03, p = 0.046; t[229] = −2.14, p = 0.036; t[229] = −3.04, p = 0.003; t[229] = −2.73, p = 0.041; t[229] = −2.60, p = 0.011, respectively).

3.5. The Impact of the Pandemic on the Emotional Perception of RED, ORANGE, GREEN, BLUE-GREEN, GREEN-LAKE, BLUE, and FUCHSIA Colors

An independent sample t-test was used to further examine the differences in the emotional perception of the eight colors (RED, ORANGE, GREEN, BLUE-GREEN, GREEN-LAKE, BLUE, FUCHSIA, and WHITE) affected by the different depths of pandemic. Overall, most of the participants who were more affected by the pandemic chose more negative adjectives for these colors to express their dissatisfaction with the pandemic (such as cold, heavy, dark, indifferent, cloudy, plain, and gloomy).

The emotional perception of RED was significantly different in A7 (fresh–cloudy), A9 (happy–gloomy), and A10 (calm–restless) (t = [229] = −2.68, p = 0.008; t = [229] = −2.42, p = 0.016; t = [229] = −2.50, p = 0.013, respectively). The emotional perception of ORANGE was significantly different only for A5 (enthusiastic–indifferent) (t = [229] = −1.95, p = 0.052). Emotional perception for GREEN was significantly different only for A10 (calm–restless) (t = [229] = −2.13, p = 0.028). Both A1 (shiny–dull) and A2 (warm–cool) for the emotional perception of BLUE–GREEN exhibit a significant difference (t = [229] = −2.15, p = 0.032 and t = [229] = −2.07, p = 0.040, respectively). There is a significant difference between the emotion perception A1 (shiny–dull) and A9 (happy–gloomy) of GREEN–LAKE (t = [229] = −2.30, p = 0.022 and t = [229] = −2.44, p = 0.015, respectively). The emotional perception of BLUE exhibited a significant difference in the emotional perception of A3 (light–heavy), A4 (bright–dark), and A6 (sweet–bitter) (respectively, t = [229] = −2.22, p = 0.028; t = [229] = −2.80, p = 0.006; t = [229] = −2.96, p = 0.003). The emotional perception of FUCHSIA was significantly different in A2 (warm–cool), A3 (light–heavy), and A5 (enthusiastic–indifferent) (t = [229] = −2.09, p = 0.038; t = [229] = −2.18, p = 0.032; t = [229] = −2.03, p = 0.045, respectively). Finally, the emotional perception of WHITE was significantly different in A4 (bright–dark), A5 (enthusiastic–indifferent), A8 (luxurious–plain), and A9 (happy–gloomy) (t = [229] = −1.94, p = 0.054; t = [229] = −2.31, p = 0.022; t = [229] = −2.26, p = 0.024; t = [229] = −1.99, p = 0.025, respectively).

4. Discussion

This study used a questionnaire to explore participants’ color preferences and emotional responses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Color preferences identified in this study can help businesses adapt to consumers’ evolving needs and preferences by selecting colors that influence emotions and enhance quality of life. For example, incorporating cooler colors like blue and green in branding can evoke trust and calmness during crises, while tourism destinations could use bright, warm colors to create an energizing atmosphere [1]. Additionally, mental health facilities might apply pastel shades to reduce anxiety and promote emotional well-being [36].

The findings of this study provided partial support for the proposed hypotheses. Consistent with the first hypothesis, the increased preference for cooler colors such as blue and green during the pandemic reflected participants’ need for calmness and stability amidst heightened stress. For example, calming colors such as blue and green could be integrated into healthcare environments to reduce patient anxiety, while marketing campaigns could use these colors to evoke a sense of trust and safety during uncertain times [1]. This aligns with findings from prior studies that highlight the calming effects of cooler tones [3,36,38]. However, the results partially refuted the second hypothesis, as the negative emotional response to warmer colors like red and orange was not as prominent as expected. Instead, some participants associated these colors with energy and positivity, suggesting that cultural and personal experiences may modulate these responses [36].

4.1. Personal Consumption Is Most Affected by the Pandemic

Personal consumption is indeed the most affected by the pandemic [39,40]. Due to the uncertainty and instability of pandemic, consumers have become more cautious and spend more conservatively, especially for unnecessary goods and services. Therefore, the pandemic has also pushed consumers to turn to online services such as online shopping and remote work. These trends have been significantly accelerated during the pandemic. Many businesses have also turned to online sales and digital services to meet consumer demand.

In fact, previous studies have found that factors such as age, family support system, and economic stability have a significant impact on an individual’s stress, anxiety, and depression levels during the pandemic [41,42]. In addition, the pandemic has a great impact on the family and friends level, especially during the period of social distancing measures. Research has found that the pandemic’s restrictions on relationships and socializing can lead to emotional problems such as loneliness, anxiety, and depression. In addition, issues of financial hardship and work stress can also negatively affect family and friend relationships.

Fortunately, younger people and those with better family support systems may show lower levels of stress, anxiety, and depression during the pandemic [43] because young people tend to use online connections to adjust their emotions and mentality; in addition, they are more adaptable to life changes brought about by the pandemic [44,45]. This may explain why young people, although affected by the pandemic at the level of family and friends, can moderately use other online tools to adjust their emotions and mentality, which can reduce the impact of the pandemic.

4.2. The Pandemic Has Reduced People’s Preference for Warm Colors

This study found that during the pandemic, people’s preference for softer, darker, and lower-saturation colors increased, while their preference for bright, high-saturation colors decreased. The pandemic may have an impact on people’s emotions and may also affect their preferences for certain colors. In general, warm colors are often associated with pleasure and excitement, while cool colors are generally associated with calmness and composure [1,2,3]. However, under the influence of the pandemic, people have different interpretations and feelings about these colors. People become heavier and moodier; they may be more inclined to choose cool colors and be less interested in warm colors [46,47].

In this study, the pandemic has indeed caused a sharp drop in people’s preference for RED and ORANGE, while their preference for BLUE and GREEN has slightly increased [4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12]. This study speculates that there are three underlying reasons: (1) RED and ORANGE are usually associated with vitality and social activities, and social distance and restricted activities during the pandemic may make people’s emotional state turn negative or heavy, which in turn affects their perception of these colors ; (2) RED and ORANGE are usually widely used in the catering and tourism industries, and these industries are most affected by the pandemic, so people may have negative associations with these colors; (3) the decline in the preference for RED and ORANGE may also be related to changes in personal mental state; people may be more anxious and depressed during the pandemic, which in turn affects their feelings and preferences for certain colors.

Interestingly, the preference for softer, darker, less-saturated colors such as GRAY and WHITE increased during the pandemic, perhaps because people are more inclined to seek peace, tranquility, and a sense of security when facing the stress of the pandemic. Moreover, muted, dull, and desaturated colors are believed to help create calm and safety and are, therefore, more widely accepted and loved during the pandemic [5,12,16].

4.3. The Pandemic Caused Strong Negative and Contradictory Emotions Related to Colors

The emotional state of many people has been affected during the pandemic. Emotional preferences for certain colors also change. Moreover, different people will have different or even reversed emotional perceptions of the same color. This influencing factor is determined by the severity of the degree to which participants are affected by the pandemic. Participants who have been greatly affected by the pandemic have negative emotions towards these color-associated words. Participants who are not affected by the pandemic still face positive emotional perception. There are conflicting color emotional responses between the two, especially for RED, ORANGE, GREEN, FUCHSIA, and WHITE. For example, people who have been greatly affected by the pandemic see RED as “gloomy”. On the contrary, people who are not affected by the pandemic still think RED is “happy”. Below are the colors that carry negative emotions and trigger conflicting feelings.

RED is “happy” but also “gloomy”. Because RED is a warning color related to viruses and infectious diseases, this study found that participants who were deeply affected by the pandemic had a relatively low degree of favorability towards RED, and there were more negative emotional adjectives, such as cloudy, sad, and anxious, perhaps because RED is often seen as a strong, intense, and challenging color [5]. During the pandemic, people’s lives and emotional states have been greatly affected, which may make people exhibit more negative emotions towards RED.

ORANGE is “enthusiastic” but also “indifferent”. A possible reason is that it is often seen as the color of energy, enthusiasm, and cheerfulness. However, during the pandemic, people’s lives and psychological states have been greatly affected, which may make people feel tired and depressed. Some people may think that ORANGE has lost its original enthusiasm and vitality. Therefore, under the influence of pandemic, people’s preferences for colors have changed, and there has been prejudice or indifference to the emotional description of ORANGE [5].

GREEN is “calm” but also “restless”. Most people’s comments about GREEN are positive. Therefore, during the pandemic, GREEN can help people relieve anxiety and worry, improve emotional stability and emotional regulation, and enhance physical health [48]. However, GREEN may have negative effects on people’s emotional and mental health during the pandemic, such as anxiety and sadness [23,49]. In particular, GREEN can produce negative emotions under high-stress situations as GREEN may arouse people’s imagination about nature and the environment, and then remind people of possible dangers and difficulties. Therefore, people’s anxiety and worry may be exacerbated under high pressure [50].

FUCHSIA is “warm” but also “cold” and has contradictory emotions of “enthusiastic” and “indifferent”. In general, the high saturation and high contrast of FUCHSIA will evoke negative emotional responses, such as danger, warning, tension, and connotations of stress [51,52,53]. This study suggests that in high-pressure environments, with participants less affected by the pandemic, there may be positive emotional responses, such as “warm” and “enthusiastic”. However, there are currently no studies that specifically point to the possible positive emotional response of FUCHSIA. There is also no study that explores people’s emotional perception of FUCHSIA during the pandemic. This study speculates that FUCHSIA may be similar to dark RED. Similar studies suggest that deep RED is seen as a “warm” and “energetic” color, which may elicit emotional responses of excitement and uplift [19].

WHITE is “bright” but also “dark”. In general, in medical settings such as hospitals, WHITE walls may make patients feel lonely and depressed. Because the color is associated with the form and procedures of medical facilities, it may serve as a reminder of the fragility of the condition [54,55]. Therefore, people’s emotional response to WHITE may be related to their perception and response to the environment, including the perception of safety and risk and the need for hygiene and cleanliness. It is conceivable that during a pandemic, if a space does not appear to be clean or clean enough, it may cause people’s uneasiness and anxiety, which in turn will lead to a negative emotional response to WHITE [56]. Conversely, during the pandemic, the color WHITE can bring positive emotional responses [12,16] as it represents purity, freshness, and brightness, which can bring peace of mind, calm, and refreshing feelings, which is in line with people’s desire for cleanliness, safety, and comfort during the pandemic. In addition, WHITE can also make the space look more spacious and brighter, thereby helping to relieve people’s anxiety and stress.

5. Conclusions

The pandemic has exerted different impacts on many different fields and can indeed affect the perception and choice of colors. At present, the pandemic is coming to an end, but people’s emotions and values will not disappear with the disappearance of the pandemic. Personal consumption is most affected by the pandemic, leading consumers to be more cautious and conservative, turning to online services for online shopping and remote work. Moreover, the pandemic has reduced people’s preference for warm colors, while their preference for softer, darker, and lower-saturation colors has increased, possibly because people seek calm and a sense of security under the pressure of the pandemic. What is most intriguing is the strong negativity and conflicting emotional responses to the outbreak. In addition, people who were severely affected by the pandemic had negative evaluations of certain color preferences and emotional associations, while those who were not affected by the pandemic maintained positive emotional feelings.

This study has several limitations. For instance, the data were collected using self-reported questionnaires, which may introduce recall bias. Additionally, the sample was limited to a specific geographic region, which could restrict the generalizability of the findings. Future studies could use longitudinal designs to minimize recall bias and improve the reliability of findings. For instance, researchers could conduct surveys every six months after the pandemic to track changes in participants’ preferences for colors. This approach would help observe whether color preferences shift significantly during the post-pandemic period.