The color red symbolizes different things according to cultures and people, and previous research has connected the color red with attractiveness . Now, a new study whose objective was to analyze how women see other women who wear this striking color, concludes that women perceive those who are dressed in red as a sexual rival .
The researchers selected 196 women between the ages of 18 and 65, who were invited to participate in a study on “forming impressions of others” , where they had to observe a photograph of a person for 5 seconds and then take an evaluation questionnaire on that person. In the photographs there were women in white or red dresses, but essentially, the structure of the photographs was the same.
The results of the experiment showed that the participants rated the women dressed in red as more sexually receptive than the women dressed in white . An identical experiment with 327 participants aimed to discover whether the red color of the clothing was also linked to an impression of promiscuity on the part of the wearer, and the conclusion supported the results of the first experiment.
The researchers conclude that women perceive other women (if they are dressed in red) as sexually more receptive and more likely to see them as a threat in relation to their current partner. This shows the influence of the color red on female perceptions and behavior.
The study, which has been developed by researchers at the University of Rochester (USA), the University of Trnava (Slovakia) and the Slovak Academy of Sciences, has been published in the journal Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin .
