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The colour stories. Things you probably didn’t know about colour. Decoding Perception.

How Light and Environment Shape Our View of Colour.

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.
 

The world was captivated by a viral image of “the dress,” sparking heated debates over whether it was blue and black or white and gold. This seemingly simple photo divided millions and baffled scientists, revealing fascinating insights into how we perceive colour. Years later, research has shed light on how environmental factors and subconscious assumptions shape our visual interpretation, offering a deeper understanding of the interplay between light, colour, and human perception.


Some time in late February 2015, a picture of “the dress” went viral and broke the internet. Within a week, more than ten million tweets had mentioned the dress with hashtags such as #TheDress, #BlueAndBlack, and #WhiteAndGold. By the end of the following month, we were all sick of seeing or talking about it. There were clearly two definitive, unwavering views, and try as we might, none of us could switch to the other. Some saw the dress as blue and black, whilst others saw it as white and gold. There was nothing in between.


Why was that? At the time, no one had any idea why some people saw “the dress” differently from others. Neuroscientists and vision experts were equally baffled. Even when the dress was finally revealed as being blue and black, those who saw it as white and gold (like me Callie van der Merwe) simply could not see the other side.


Years later, with hundreds of papers now written about the topic, there is finally some agreement in the scientific community. It seems that the contrasting colour perceptions boiled down to one universal, natural, and instinctive human behavioural trait: when humans face profound uncertainty, we confidently fill in the gaps in our knowledge by making assumptions based on what we most frequently encountered in the past.

A striped dress with alternating blue and black or white and gold hues hangs in a brightly lit store, sparking optical illusion debate. The dress was a 2015 online viral phenomenon centred on a photograph of a dress. Viewers disagreed on whether the dress was blue and black, or white and gold. The phenomenon revealed differences in human colour perception and became the subject of scientific investigations into neuroscience and vision science.

The phenomenon originated in a photograph of a dress posted on the social networking service Facebook. The dress was black and blue, but the conditions of the photograph caused many to perceive it as white and gold, creating debate. Within a week, more than ten million tweets had mentioned the dress. The retailer of the dress, Roman Originals, reported a surge in sales and produced a one-off version in white and gold sold for charity.
The Dress
“Our perception of colour depends not just on the wavelengths of light entering our eyes, but on our brain’s assumptions about the environment.”

Dr. Pascal Wallisch, neuroscientist and expert in visual perception. The quote highlights the fascinating complexity of colour perception. It’s not just about the physical wavelengths of light that reach our eyes; our brains play an active role in interpreting those signals. This interpretation is influenced by assumptions about the environment, such as the type of lighting or contextual cues around an object. In the case of “the dress,” these assumptions caused our brains to subconsciously adjust for perceived lighting conditions, leading to two drastically different interpretations. This demonstrates how deeply our past experiences and environments shape what we see, often without us even realising it.


In this specific case, it was more a matter of where than what. Those who spent more of their time outdoors or were exposed to more daylight assumed that the dress was photographed in natural light (daylight) and were more likely to see it as white and gold. Why? They mentally and subconsciously eliminated short-wavelength light (natural blue light) from the image, making the image appear more yellow.


Those who spent more time indoors under artificial light (specifically incandescent light) mentally subtracted long-wavelength yellow light from the image, leaving an image looking more blue, and thus seeing a blue and black dress.


The mystery of “the dress” highlights the intricate ways our brains process colour, influenced by light, environment, and past experiences. This phenomenon underscores the powerful role of perception in shaping how we interpret the world around us. Understanding these factors deepens our appreciation of the complexities of human vision and its connection to behaviour.


 

Information Reference Index:

Why Do We See The Dress Differently?

What Science Says About "The Dress"

The Neuroscience of Colour Perception

The Science Behind How We See Colour

Colour Illusions and Human Behaviour



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