Color-concept associations among Chinese steel workers and managerial staff

Abstract

Previous studies have tested population stereotypes for color without considering the specific environments under which color associations are critical for human safety, or whether color associations vary on the basis of various occupations. In this study, a questionnaire survey was administered to 139 steel workers and 74 managerial staff in two industrial companies in China to examine the color associations among occupational groups and to compare population stereotypes for color. Participants were presented with 16 concepts and were asked to select one of 10 colors to represent each concept. Chi-square tests were conducted on each of the sixteen concepts and the results indicated that each concept was significantly associated with at least one color in the two occupational groups. The study also revealed the differences in the color associations produced by participants from different occupations and cultures (Chinese steel workers, managerial staff, Hong Kong Chinese, Yunnan Chinese, and Americans). © 2013 Springer-Verlag.