Color Preference as a Function of Introversion and Extraversion

A study was designed to determine if introverts and extravew differ in their preferences for various colors; a notion first hypothesized by Birren (1963), though not yet substantiated. Evidence was also sought for the "ex-centric" and "concentric" color preference claims made for the Liischer Color Test (Liischer, 1969). Forty Ss from the University of Colorado-seen individually-were first administered the Eysenck Personality Inventory and an E score for extraversion was obtained. Subjects then expressed preferences for 28 different colors of varying hue and saturation arranged in 14 pairs. Colors were presented in the form of projected slides. Subjects wore translucent white "glasses" which produced a uniformly colored Ganzfeld. A preference for the cooler (tending toward blue and green) or calmer color in each pair was considered an introvert response, while a preference for the warmer (tending toward red and yellow) or more intense color was considered extravert. The next step was to administer the "shortened" Liischer Color Test to each S. Special attention was paid to responses that Liischer predicts (1969) for ex-centric (extraverted) and concentric (introverted) personalities. Finally, Ss rated themselves on a scale of 1 to 10 as to their personal impression of their relative extraversion. Results indicate a significant relationship between color preference and degree of extraversion. Introverts prefer cooler and calmer tending colors over warmer and more incense ones and vice versa for extraverts. A significant Pearson correlation of .56 (N = 40, p < .01) was found between color preference and self-rating of relative extraversion. A correlacion of .62 ( N = 40, p < .01) was found between color preference and Extraversion E scores. Between self-rating and the Eysenck inventory, s was .82 ( N = 40, p < .01), implying both that Ss were good judges of their relative extraversion as defined by Eysenck (1968) and that his Extraversion scale is of high validity. Less impressive results were found for Liischer's test. The mean Eysenck inventory and self-rating scores were determined for those Ss who demonstrated ex-centric, concentric, or neither behavior on the Liischer Color Test. Analysis of the variance of these data did not yield significant results at any level. N o discernible differences, correlations, or trends were found, casting serious doubt on the validity of inferences about introversion or extraversion based on the Liischer Color Test.