Of course, as a scholar in this area for 25 years, I find this topic immensely intriguing. However, it is not really that easy to make specific color associations with feelings/emotions, including children. Developmental, cultural, and even socioeconomic factors affect associations with color throughout the lifespan. If you look more deeply into color studies in anthropology you will find some of this information and the "multi-meanings" of color, even within young children. Red, for example, is one of those colors that has been proven repeatedly to have multiple meanings with the average 4 year old. And neuroscience is informing thinking about color as we begin to understand more about the complexities of brain function when it comes to sight [we all see color a little differently] and perception. Also, take a look into the research that companies like the famous Pantone have contributed in this area.

Thank you for reintroducing me to this interesting topic.

Cathy Malchiodi, The Healing Arts

Cathy,

I appreciate your 1/4 century of experience as well as your deep interest in this subject area.

My intention in this blog was to explain that color can be used as a medium to teach young children about their feelings (i.e. joy, misery, sadness, delight, pain, wonder) and to encourage children's own skills to begin regulating them.

And yes absolutely - children (like all of us) are influenced by our cultural, biological, sensory and other filters. This mini little blog was focused upon America and the common color-feeling connections for most preschool children. Of course, every child and situation is slightly different - no size fits all.

Again, I so appreciate your interest and enthusiasm for this subject matter. I feel it a goldmine yet to be fully discovered.

Best, Maureen

I am interested to know if you have any insights on human's ability to envision words in specific colors. My whole life I have visualized words as colors. Not every word but many, and specifically names. Almost all names have a color. As far as my own family goes, Jenny is seen in yellow, Ellen in blue, John a brownish red, and my own name, deep pink. I simply can not see these names in any other color and as far as I can tell there are few links to the way I see the colors in relation to the people or personalities themselves. It seems that it is simply the name spelled out that demands a certain color association. What is this? Is this common?