Comparative analysis of color emotional perception in art and non-art university students: hue, saturation, and brightness effects in the Munsell color system.

backgroundHue, saturation, and brightness are critical dimensions of color perception, and art students may experience color-related emotions differently from non-art students due to either their specialized training or innate artistic sensitivity. Despite this intriguing possibility, limited research has systematically examined these differences. This study aims to investigate how art and non-art students perceive and emotionally evaluate different colors.

methodsUsing a questionnaire-based approach, participants rated the emotional valence of colors on a 7-point semantic differential scale, ranging from very negative to very positive. The colors were carefully selected from Munsell's color system, which enabled precise manipulation of hue, brightness, and saturation levels. The study included 36 art students and 36 non-art students, who evaluated colors under controlled experimental conditions.

resultsThe findings indicate that brightness and saturation significantly influence emotional responses to colors. Warmer colors, such as orange, elicited more positive emotional evaluations, whereas cooler colors, such as blue, received less positive ratings. Importantly, while differences in emotional responses between art and non-art students were observed, these differences were relatively modest. Art students showed a slight but noticeable sensitivity to variations in brightness and hue, whereas non-art students exhibited stronger responses to color saturation.

conclusionThe findings reveal measurable differences in how art and non-art students emotionally evaluate color, particularly in response to variations in hue, brightness, and saturation. These results provide new insights into the nuanced emotional interpretation of color across populations, enriching our understanding of affective visual perception.