Can the color on a screen raise your blood pressure? You set up a computer to display full screens of blue, red, black, white, green, and yellow. Then you measure the blood pressure of 20 participants after they stare at each color for three minutes.
Each participant rests for 15 minutes between colors. A portable wrist monitor records blood pressure after each viewing. You compare the readings to each person's resting baseline.
Red and yellow screens tend to raise blood pressure. The other colors show little change from the baseline.
Hypothesis
The hypothesis is that persons who have been exposed to warm colors such as yellow or red will have increased blood pressure compared to persons who have been exposed to cooler colors such as green or blue.
Color psychology reaches beyond emotions into the body itself. In this experiment, participants stare at full screens of blue, red, black, white, green, and yellow for three minutes each, with a 15-minute rest between colors. A portable wrist monitor records blood pressure after each viewing and compares it to each person's resting baseline. Red and yellow screens tend to raise blood pressure. The other colors show little change — a clear sign that colors can alter how people respond physically, not just emotionally.
The force your blood pushes against vessel walls can change depending on what you experience. In this experiment, 20 participants stare at full screens of blue, red, black, white, green, and yellow for three minutes each, with a 15-minute rest between colors. A portable wrist monitor records blood pressure after each viewing. You compare the readings to each person's resting baseline. Red and yellow screens tend to raise blood pressure. The cooler colors — blue, green, black, and white — show little change from baseline. That difference suggests warm colors may increase the force blood exerts against vessel walls in ways that cooler colors do not.
Method & Materials
You will need 10 male and 10 female participants of the same age, a computer, and a portable (wrist) blood pressure monitor. You will measure the participants' blood pressure before and after they stare at the computer screen for 3 minutes. The screen will show different colors like blue, red, black, white, green, and yellow.
You will need a computer, 10 male and 10 female participants of the same age, and a portable (wrist) blood pressure monitor.
Eureka Crate — engineering & invention kits for ages 12+ — monthly projects that build real-world skills. (Affiliate link)
The experiment showed that the participants' blood pressure increased after they had been made to stare at the red and yellow screens. Other colors did not lead to significant changes in blood pressure.
Why do this project?
This science project is interesting because it explores how colors can affect our moods and health. It can also be useful in the advertising industry, where colors are used to create specific moods.
Also Consider
Experiment variations include using different colored light bulbs to light up the room and to check blood pressure, or checking the pulse rate instead of blood pressure.
Full project details
Additional information and source material for this project are available below.
