The colour stories. Things you probably didn’t know about colour. Royalty to Revolution in Hue.

Callie van der Merwe
Sep 16, 2022
4 min read

The Power and Perception of Colour: From Symbolism to Science

The Subtle Influence of Scent: How Cleaning Aromas Make Us Tidier The environments we inhabit influence us in surprising and often subconscious ways, shaping how we think, feel, and act. One particularly intriguing example is the impact of scent on behaviour. Research reveals that a subtle aroma of cleaning liquid in the air can inspire tidier and more conscientious actions, even when people are unaware of the scent’s influence. This phenomenon highlights the nonconscious power of olfactory cues to affect our cognition and habits, offering fascinating insights into how sensory elements in our surroundings can encourage positive behaviours and enhance the spaces we share. The Aroma of Cleaning Liquid Makes People Behave Tidier A subtle yet powerful effect occurs when the aroma of cleaning liquid lingers in the air: people unconsciously behave in a cleaner and tidier manner. This fascinating behavioural shift is supported by research from Rob W. Holland, Merel Hendriks, and Henk Aarts, who explored the unconscious influence of scent on human cognition and behaviour. In their groundbreaking studies, the researchers examined how exposure to citrus-scented cleaning products affected participants' thoughts and actions without their conscious awareness. The first two studies revealed that participants who were unobtrusively exposed to the scent of all-purpose cleaner demonstrated heightened mental accessibility to the concept of cleaning. This was evidenced by their quicker recognition of cleaning-related words and a higher likelihood of listing cleaning-related activities when asked to describe their expected behaviours for the day. The third study took the research a step further, showing that exposure to the scent caused participants to physically act in a tidier manner. During an eating task, those in a room with the faint aroma of cleaning liquid kept their immediate environment significantly cleaner than those in a neutral-scented room. Awareness checks confirmed that participants were unaware of the scent's influence on their behaviour, highlighting the powerful and nonconscious impact of olfactory cues. As Dr. Rob W. Holland, a lead researcher on the subject, explains, "Our studies show that subtle olfactory cues, like the scent of a cleaning product, can nonconsciously influence behaviours and thought processes, encouraging actions aligned with the aroma’s associations, such as cleanliness and order." This finding underscores the remarkable ability of scent to shape our thoughts and actions in subtle, unconscious ways. Implications for Space Design These studies highlight the potential for integrating olfactory cues into space design to promote desired behaviours. Whether in homes, workplaces, or public environments, the strategic use of scent could subtly encourage cleaner and more organised actions. By using pleasant, subtle aromas like citrus-based cleaning products, spaces can be designed not only to appear clean but also to inspire occupants to maintain that cleanliness unconsciously. As the researchers concluded, "The present studies reveal the nonconscious influence that olfactory cues can have on thinking and doing." This insight opens up exciting possibilities for enhancing environments through thoughtful sensory design. By leveraging the subtle power of scent, we can create spaces that not only function well but also encourage positive behavioural patterns in those who inhabit them.

Colour has always held a profound influence on human behaviour, culture, and history. Among all hues, purple stands out as one of the most intriguing and enduring. From its ancient ties to royalty and spirituality to its rarity in nature, purple has been a symbol of power, luxury, and divinity. However, this once-elite hue underwent a dramatic transformation in the 19th century, when science made it widely accessible. Understanding the story of purple offers a glimpse into the complex relationship between colour, society, and innovation.

Any self-respecting colour psychologist will tell you that colour has the ability to impact our mood, thoughts, and behaviour, and that our brains have evolved to respond to it unconsciously, from our appetite to our productivity, and even our relationships. Our emotional connection to colour is much deeper and often more impactful than we are consciously aware of.

“Colour is a power which directly influences the soul.”

Wassily Kandinsky, artist and theorist, highlighting the emotional impact of colours like purple.

Let’s think about that for a minute. Police wear black uniforms because most people find it intimidating. (Why do so many designers wear black, I wonder?) Politicians wear red neckties because most people perceive it as a symbol of power, and royalty wears purple because most people perceive it as…well, royalty. As per our previous article, “When Boys Wore Pink and Girls Wore Blue," we also came to understand that our relationship with colour can be quite fickle, fluid, and easily redirected by popular cultural events or people.

A great example is the red necktie. Whilst it may be the uniform of choice for politicians today, there was a time in the early 1900s when red neckties were only worn by male prostitutes in Philadelphia advertising their trade. It took a dashing John F. Kennedy some 50 years later to change the trajectory of the red necktie, and Barack Obama another 50 years to cement it as the “Obama Uniform.”

The colour purple, however, seems to be a little more mysterious and enduring. The most refracted colour when light passes through a prism, purple is the hardest colour for the eye to discriminate. As the colour of wealth, luxury, royalty, and even divinity, this hue betwixt red and blue is relatively new in our human development timeline. It is highly unlikely that our prehistoric ancestors ever saw a purple fruit, flower, or animal. Perhaps it is because of this rarity in nature that this exotic colour has been considered so sacred. When the colour purple was first artificially produced, it was so outrageously expensive that only rulers could afford it. The dye initially used to make purple came from the Phoenician trading city of Tyre, which is now in modern-day Lebanon. Fabric traders obtained the dye by crushing or milking a small sea snail that was only found in the Tyre region of the Mediterranean Sea, giving birth to the name Tyrian. The Greek word for Tyrian, Porphura, in turn became purpul in Old English and later purple.

Full Length Portrait Of King George Vi, Study 3 A regal figure in a purple and gold robe holds a scepter in an ornate hall. Flags are in the background. The setting is majestic and stately. — *Full Length Portrait Of King George Vi, Study 3*

The reason it was so unaffordable is because it was extremely labour-intensive to obtain this colour. Modern researchers have determined that it would require the crushing of 12,000 snails to dye the trim of a single garment. Since only wealthy rulers could afford to buy and wear the colour, it became associated with the imperial classes of Rome, Egypt, and Persia. Purple also came to represent spirituality and holiness because the ancient emperors, kings, and queens who wore the colour were often thought of as gods or descendants of the gods.

In ancient Greece, the right to clad oneself in purple was tightly controlled by legislation. When King Ptolemy of Mauretania decided to wear purple on a visit to the Emperor Caligula, he interpreted the fashion statement as an act of imperial aggression and had his guest killed. It is also well documented that Queen Elizabeth forbade anyone except the royal family and close members of the family to wear it.

The mystery and exclusivity of purple, however, came to an almost abrupt end in 1856, when an 18-year-old aspiring British chemist named William Henry Perkin was challenged by his professor to synthesise quinine a useful anti-malarial drug.

Upon mixing his potions, he accidentally discovered the colour purple. Recognising his good fortune, he immediately seized the opportunity, trademarked the colour as Mauveine (inspired by the Latin term for the mallow flower, Malva), and started an extremely profitable dye business. Thus, the process of chemical dye synthesis was born, and suddenly, what had been for centuries an elite hue was widely available, demystifying its use.

The story of purple is a testament to how colour shapes culture, history, and perception. Once reserved for royalty and spirituality, this rare hue transitioned into everyday life through scientific innovation. Purple’s journey reminds us of the enduring power of colour to influence emotions, convey meaning, and connect us to the world around us.

Information Reference Index:

The History of Purple Dye

William Henry Perkin and the Invention of Mauveine

Colour and its Psychological Impact

The Science of Colour Perception

Colour in Culture and History

A History of the Colour Purple

Tyrian Purple: The Disgusting Origins of the Colour Purple

Perkin’s Purple