The Impact of Anxious and Calm Emotional States on Color Usage in Pre-drawn Mandalas - Single-Subject Experiment

Oct 15, 2026

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This single-subject experiment tests whether emotional state relates to color usage in pre-drawn mandalas as an art therapy technique. Participants (n=64) were assigned to anxious, calm, or neutral mood groups via a brief writing exercise, then colored a pre-drawn mandala. Researchers quantified the percentage of each mandala area colored with warm colors and compared groups. No statistical differences emerged among anxious, calm, and neutral states, suggesting color choices reflect preferences and color-linked memories rather than current mood.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages6

Reading Time15 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Background on emotion and color associations

Rationale for art-based assessment and therapy

brief report The Impact of Anxious and Calm Emotional States on Color Usage in Pre-drawn Mandalas Andrea Kersten, Houston, TX, and Renee van der Vennet, Rochester, NY Abstract The purpose of this single-subject experiment was to test whether a link exists between emotional state and color usage in a common art therapy technique. The researchers hypothesized that when coloring a pre-drawn mandala, participants would choose warm colors when they were anxious and cool colors when they were calm. The non-random sample consisted of 64 undergraduate and graduate students who were assigned to one of three evenly distributed groups. For each group, a different mood (anxious, calm, or neutral) was induced through a brief writing exercise. The researchers calculated the percentage of the total area of each mandala that was colored with warm colors and compared the results for each group. The researchers found no statistical differences in the color choices of participants who were feeling anxious, calm, or neutral when coloring a pre-drawn mandala. Color usage may have more to do with color preferences and memories that are associated with colors than current emotional state. Introduction Although people may have different reasons for choosing particular colors when producing a piece of art, we still know very little about how emotional or psychological states affect that choice. Research has identified a relationship between emotional state and color, in that warm colors may provoke active feelings, such as anger and tension, and cool colors may provoke sedate feelings, such as sadness and fatigue (Levy, 1980, 1984). In the study described herein, we attempted to take this observation further and to examine whether emotional state influences a person’s choice of warm or cool colors when using a common art therapy technique. Color affects everything from workplace productivity to consumer trends to voting behavior (see, e.g., Kuller, Editor’s Note: Andrea Kersten, MA is a Research Coordinator at the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX. Renee van der Vennet, PhD, ATR-BC, LPC, is an Assistant Professor of Art Therapy in the Creative Arts Therapy Department of Nazareth College in Rochester, NY. Correspondence concerning this article may be addressed to the second author at [rvander3@zimbra.naz.edu](rvander3@zimbra.naz.edu) Ballal, Laike, Mikellides, & Tonello, 2006) . In Valdez and Mehrabian’s (1994) study, participants reported a greater degree of anxiety or arousal when viewing red and yellow hues as compared with viewing blue and green hues. In their study of college students, Kaya and Epps (2004) found that blue or green colors elicited more feelings of being relaxed, happy, or calm. They also found that participants more often reported feeling negative emotions such as anger or annoyance when viewing red or orange than participants who viewed green and blue. Because anxiety often accompanies depression (Morrison, 1995), the link between emotion and color usage has diagnostic and therapeutic value. Research that examines the differences in artwork produced by individuals who feel anxious versus the artwork of participants who feel calm may help art therapists treat patients who are experiencing anxiety-related problems. Color choice is oneof the elements of standardized art-based assessment, such as the Formal Elements Art Therapy Scale (FEATS; Gantt & Tabone, 1998) that rates the prominence of color and color fit of a given artwork, among other elements. The Diagnostic Drawing Series (Cohen, Hammer, & Singer, 1988) considers monochrome color and multiple color usage in its rating system. The Mandala Assessment Research Institute Card Test involves selecting from preprinted color cards to evaluate a client’s current emotional state. Although Kellogg (1992) observed that colors chosen by clients seemed to reflect emotional content, she elaborateda theory of color that was related to developmental stages rather

FAQs

What question does the study investigate?

The study tests whether emotional state is linked to how people choose colors when coloring pre-drawn mandalas in an art therapy context.

How were participants’ emotional states induced?

Participants were assigned to one of three evenly distributed groups (anxious, calm, or neutral), and each mood was induced using a brief writing exercise.

What were the study’s main findings?

Participants did not show statistical differences in warm-color usage across anxious, calm, and neutral mood groups, indicating that current emotional state may not drive color choices as strongly as preferences or color-related memories.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by McGucket