The red-derogation effect: How the color red affects married women's ratings of male attractiveness.
J Exp Psychol Appl
; 26(3): 551-565, 2020 Sep.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-31750684
ABSTRACT
The present research addresses the question of how the color red affects married women's evaluations of male attractiveness. Three studies demonstrate a red-derogation effect for married women's judgments such that men are perceived to be less attractive and less sexually desirable when their profiles are displayed on a red versus a white background. We show that married (vs. single) women perceive the color red as a threat cue which, in turn, evokes avoidance tendencies. Our studies indicated that married (vs. single) women became more risk averse (Study 2) and were more likely to recall words related to relationship commitment and threat after exposure to an attractive male presented on a red (vs. white) background (Study 3). Further, we show that the red-derogation effect is moderated by the level of cognitive resources. When married women were cognitively depleted, the effect of color was mitigated. Overall the findings demonstrate that a subtle peripheral cue (e.g., red color) is sufficient to identify an attractive other as a threat, which activates a defensive strategy. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Percepção Social
/
Percepção de Cores
/
Aparência Física
/
Julgamento
Tipo de estudo:
Prognostic_studies
Limite:
Adult
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
Idioma:
En
Revista:
J Exp Psychol Appl
Assunto da revista:
PSICOLOGIA
Ano de publicação:
2020
Tipo de documento:
Article