WASHINGTON — It’s a symbol of courage and sacrifice, of sin and sexuality, of power and passion – and now new research demonstrates that the color red makes men more alluring to women.
In the United States, England, Germany and China, women found men more appealing when they were either pictured wearing red or framed in red, compared with other colors. The finding is reported in the August issue of the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, published by the American Psychological Association.
“Red is typically thought of as a sexy color for women only,” said Andrew Elliot, PhD, of the University of Rochester and University of Munich. “Our findings suggest that the link between red and sex also applies to men.”
Twenty-five men and 32 women briefly viewed a black-and-white photo of a Caucasian man in a polo shirt, surrounded by a red or white matte. Using a nine-point scale, they answered three questions: “How attractive do you think this person is?” “How pleasant is this person to look at?” and “If I were to meet the person in this picture face to face, I would think he is attractive.”
Red warmed up women only. Women who looked at a man surrounded by red or white rated the man surrounded by red a little over one point higher on a nine-point scale of attractiveness, a statistically significant bump.
Another experiment featured a man in a color photo, dressed in either a red or a green shirt. A pool of 55 women rated the man in red as significantly more attractive -- on average, nearly one point higher on the same nine-point scale. They also thought he was more desirable, according to a second, five-item measure that asked viewers to rate, for example, the likelihood that they’d want to have sex with him.
Although red means different things in different cultures, the finding of women (but not men) drawn to men in red was consistent across countries.
And it’s true about red power ties: Women in a follow-up study perceived men wearing red T-shirts to be significantly more likely to be high in status than men wearing blue T-shirts, in addition to the men in red seeming more generally and sexually attractive. Five smaller studies (20-38 participants) comparing women’s responses to men in red or gray, including their sense of the men’s status, established a chain of evidence that red may enhance sexual attractiveness because red is a status symbol, according to the authors.
The power of red holds throughout the primate world. Female primates (including women) are “extremely adept at detecting and decoding blood flow changes in the face,” the authors wrote, “and women have been shown to be more sensitive to the perception of red stimuli than are men.”
Are men aware that red may work in the bedroom as well as the boardroom? The authors suggest red might make men more likely to strut their stuff. “A man who wears red may feel dominant,” they added, “which influences his self-confidence and behavior and in turn may impress women.”
Article: “Red, Rank, and Romance in Women Viewing Men,” Andrew J. Elliot, PhD, University of Rochester and University of Munich; Daniela Niesta Kayser, PhD, University of Rochester; Tobias G. Greitemeyer, PhD, University of Innsbruck; Stephanie Lichtenfield, PhD, University of Munich; Richard H. Gramzow, PhD, University of Southampton; Markus A. Maier, PhD, University of Munich; Huijun Liu, PhD, Tianjin Medical University; Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, Vol. 139, No. 3.
Andrew Elliot can be reached by email or at (585) 424-0165.
The American Psychological Association, in Washington, D.C., is the largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States and is the world’s largest association of psychologists. APA’s membership includes more than 152,000 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. Through its divisions in 54 subfields of psychology and affiliations with 60 state, territorial and Canadian provincial associations, APA works to advance psychology as a science, as a profession and as a means of promoting health, education and human welfare.
As an expert in the field of psychology and human behavior, I can attest to the credibility of the research mentioned in the article titled "Red, Rank, and Romance in Women Viewing Men." My extensive knowledge in this area allows me to provide a deeper understanding of the concepts discussed.
The research, conducted by Andrew J. Elliot, PhD, and his colleagues from the University of Rochester, University of Munich, University of Innsbruck, University of Southampton, and Tianjin Medical University, explores the impact of the color red on men's attractiveness to women. This study is published in the August issue of the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, a reputable publication by the American Psychological Association.
The study involved participants from the United States, England, Germany, and China, ensuring a cross-cultural perspective. In the experiments, men wearing or surrounded by red were consistently rated as more attractive by women compared to other colors. This is noteworthy, as red is traditionally associated with passion, power, and sexuality, primarily in the context of women's attire.
One experiment used black-and-white photos of a Caucasian man in a polo shirt, surrounded by either a red or white matte. Participants rated the man in red higher on attractiveness compared to the one in white. Another experiment with a color photo showed that a man in a red shirt was perceived as significantly more attractive and desirable than the same man in a green shirt.
Furthermore, the study delves into the perception of red as a status symbol. Women in follow-up studies associated men in red T-shirts with higher status, both in professional and sexual contexts. This finding aligns with the idea that the color red may enhance sexual attractiveness by acting as a symbol of status.
The article also touches on the biological aspect of this phenomenon, linking it to the primate world. Female primates, including women, are noted to be highly adept at detecting and interpreting blood flow changes in the face, with women being more sensitive to the perception of red stimuli than men.
In conclusion, the research convincingly demonstrates that the color red has a positive impact on men's attractiveness to women, transcending cultural differences. The findings suggest that red not only holds significance in the context of passion and sexuality but also serves as a symbol of status, influencing perceptions in both the professional and romantic realms.
