“Every color every hue: the effect of background color on the

memory retention of college students from NU-Laguna”

for

Advanced Communication and Experimental Psychology

Third Term - AY 2020-2021

By

Enriquez, Edzelle

Largueza, Ma. Francesca

Ovejera, Gabriel Nino

Valera, Charlemegne

Of

BSP181B

NU-LAGUNA
 INTRODUCTION

Understanding how the cognitive process works is still in the process of discovery. In

contemporary studies about memory, one of the most intriguing and challenging topics is about how to

enhance the human memory performance. Due to the studies about what or how to enhance memory

retention, the discovery of color as a distinct variable that is useful in retrieving information surfaced.

(Olurinola & Tayo, 2015) A plethora of studies about how students have better memory retention

when a colored paper, background, picture, and other materials are exposed to them have been conducted.

These results were also confirmed by research from previous studies from (Rahman et al., 2017);

(Dzulkifli & Mustafar, 2013) and others who have proved in their studies the effect of color on memory

retention. However, despite the results from these studies contradicting claims of Spence et al. (2006)

states that the use of any color will have an increasing effect on the cognitive retention of young learners.

This indicates that current study still needs to further elaborate why certain colors have increase the

memory retention of the students, through this we are able to make sense of what the numbers may not

expressed from the previous studies on color and memory retention. There are also some limitations that

may interfere to the current study, the setting where the experiment will be conducted plays an important

role on the attention of the students that is an important factor on memory retention. Above all, majority

from the previous studies are outdates and there are only a few accessible and up to date studies that can

be explored. Despite the number of studies, the question that remains constant, what color really improves

the memory retention of students? Is color really an important variable in the process information

retrieval of students?

The current study holds the characteristics from two fields related to Psychology: cognitive

psychology for knowledge on memory retention and its retrieval process. While knowledge from some
empirical research on color of psychology will be used in terms of choosing the color of backgrounds that

will be used. The current study proposed that being exposed to certain colored materials may influence

the memory retention of students. In the study where shapes and colors where exposed to students, it

showed how students can remember the colors better compared to the shapes that were presented.

(Pan,2012) Furthermore, some studies resulted to color not influencing the memory retention of students.

Though, the study suggested that color is still an important contextual cue that requires active processing

to help students enhance their memory retention. (Martinez et al., 2010) Due to these findings, we

conclude that the repetition, the time exposure, and the use of different colors is an important role to the

memory retention of students.

The current study aims to expand knowledge from previous studies on color and memory

retention by measuring the number of items that can be stored and not just only focus on the number of

correct items between two groups. On the previous studies, it still used to replicate the same methods

from studies about comparing two groups while exposing them to incongruent and congruent colors

versus the achromatic colors. However, researchers found a methodological gap based on previous

studies. There is a lack of consistent techniques and material used to determine color affectivity in

enhancing memory retention such as color combinations involved (Dzulkifli & Mustafar, 2013), verbal or

visual approach (Onasanaya, 2002), and color temperature (Olurinola & Tayo, 2015). As the researchers

try to carry through the research design, dearth is found from the prior research on measurement of data.

In this study, researchers seek to set in motion a new investigation on research design with a more distinct

collecting of data. Secondly, the researchers identified an apparent evidence gap in the prior research

concerning retention rate between colored, and black and white backgrounds. Previous research has

addressed several aspects of results such as: blue, green, and yellow background shows a higher recall

rate than white (Rahman, 2017); participants showed higher recall rate exposed to colored images of

natural scenes than the non-colored ones (Wichmann et al., 2002); and white provided the highest
retention rate in short and long-term recall (McConnohie, 1999). However, preceding researchers failed to

address findings that contradicts prior research. The researchers distinguished the evidence gap from

contradictory findings. Third, the researchers found the population gap, previous studies indicate the

unequal number of respondents and different observation of the colors that also had positive and negative

effects. First, there is a gap with choosing the respondents on their convenience that affects the outcome

of their study. The results revealed that there were unworked done with the research and further research

is required before any concrete evidence can be presented (Olurinola & Tayo, 2015). Due to these

findings, the study attempted to explain this conflicting finding using information processing theories and

sensory arousal mechanisms. As a result, the paper color had no impact, and the effects of background

color for college students differ based on their gender. Second, the unequal number of students chosen of

both genders. (Ajibola Abdul Rahman, 2017). Because of the various data that they collected from

previous studies; this aspect may have had a great impact on the study's findings. As men and women

have different learning and memorization processes when it comes to capturing the various letters.

In line with the gaps from the previous studies on the effect of color on memory retention, the

current study holds significance to an additional knowledge on color and memory retention, previous

studies reviewed in this paper had various approaches on multimedia, such as motion, sound, color, and

background. However, only a few studies had focused on a single variable to determine their effect on

memory retention. (Olurinola & Tayo,2015). The delivery and the message that is associated with the

color can be a powerful tool that can be used by educational institutions both for the development of

learners and educators.

 The next section of the paper provides an overview of the empirical research on models, theories

and approaches that explains the effect of color on memory retention. We then further explain studies

about color and attention followed by the neurobiological aspect of how the brain process and explains

the effect of color to memory.

MEMORY AND RETENTION

Humans have different ways on restoring and memorizing information in which researchers have

no explanation yet on what are the best ways. However, a human memory is divided into two which are

the short-term memory and long-term memory that has been provided by the early researchers with

different models and theories.

The famous memory model of Artkinson-Shriffrin is the multi-store model of memory, states

how humans use the three structures of the models in retaining the information to the brain. Register store

gathers information from different environment. The short term stores the information coming from the

register store and other temporary information that cannot put in the long-term memory. However, if

humans rehearsed the information, there is a possibility that the said information will be put in the long-

term memory and can retrieve successfully. Long term store is where the information stays permanently,

and humans can perform retrieval (Dzulkifli & Mustafar, 2013).

Levels of Processing theory by Craik and Lockhart focuses more on attention as encoding the

information. The theory claims that the more attention humans give, the higher chances of retaining the

information to the brain. On the other hand, retention is when an information stays in the storage, and
recalling is accessing the information that was given or store in the long term. As humans have different

ways on retaining and recalling information, it is said that there are three types of recalling; free recall is

where people need to recall the items that needs to remember in any order. In this test, it will provide

evidence about recalling the items what is easily recalled, how it is presented and how its effect. The cued

recall focuses more on guiding with the help of cue (words, images, sound, and numbers). Serial recall is

remembering the memory in sequence where if it is in long term, people can recall the memory as whole,

while in the short-term memory, the information can be recall depends on the sequence and position

(Rahman et al., 2017). As people’s curiosity grew about retaining memory, the Miller’s constant also

known as theory of seven plus or minus two, that assumes about the capacity of short-term memory

where it is said that humans can store seven plus or minus two in the short term (Fear, 2016).

The importance of retaining and recalling memory helps people to perform better as it is used

every day without noticing it. It is also suggested that the attention plays big role in encoding information

to the brain.

STROOP PARADIGM

Various researchers’ studies how human memory works and its effects on retaining information.

The stroop paradigm sees if there is a connection between emotional arousal and human memory using

taboo words with different ink colors. However, studies shows that taboo words can help participants to

perform better rather than neutral words (Dzulkifli & Mustafar, 2013). In recent study, the stroop effect

was revised that human cognitive can be divided into two groups; people can be automatic where the

situation is unintentional. On the other hand, people can be controlled where the consciousness is present.

However, it is state that recognizing colors relies more on controlled process (De Koning et al., 2016).
 The resource capacity theory suggests that taboo words influence the capacity of attention

resources that reduces convenient resources to neutral stimuli. Taboo words have an influence in

acknowledging the font color in stroop effect. However, the binding theory suggests that the emotion,

memory, and attention influences in responding to taboo words (Mackay et al., 2015). Furthermore,

researchers used the stroop paradigm in relation of memory retention as several studies complement to

early studies in remembering memory vividly that reflects on the long-term memory (Dzulkifli &

Mustafar, 2013).

COLORS AND ATTENTION

Colors can contribute to attention level of humans and gives emotional arousal that could help to

enhance the performance in memory (Dzulkifli & Mustafar, 2013). Aside from this, colors also help in

recognizing objects rather than objects in grayscale shade (Fear, 2016).

Colorful backgrounds are used in different industry especially in marketing industry. As

technologies improved, most in the said industries transfers into digitals. In a recent study, it is state that

colors in digitals have an impact towards to attention and memory as it is presented to people in a

computer with different contents (Kim, 2010). Colors helps people in sustaining the attention that could

result in better performance and brings out cognitive powers to influence learning, memorization, etc.

(Rahman et al., 2017). However, humans have different preferences in colors. Some might prefer warm

tone colors others might prefer the cool tone. Recent study says that human’s preferences are based on

events or experiences a person encounter with colors and objects (Fear, 2016).
 Furthermore, it is explained that the warm types of color like yellow, red, and orange have greater

effect on attention and arousal rather than cool tone colors like brown and gray (Dzulkifli & Mustafar,

2013). The effect of the colors could be positive or negative. However, it is assumed that colors have an

impact in memory performance that could possibly store information to the brain (Rahman et al., 2017).

The previous studies however have not tested the consistent colors from previous studies and the

number of items that they can retain and recall at the given period. The current study proposed that

choosing the right color used in a presentation or study material of students is found to be a great stimulus

for their learning. According to the proposition above, the current study claims that the exposure to

colored background presentation results to better memory retention of students.

NEUROBIOLOGICAL

In perceiving colors, it is made up to 70% In which humans recognizes the color first instead of

shapes. Sensory organs, distinguish specific colors that reflects depends on the light that reflect or

transmit that causes visual sensation based on its wavelength (Rahman et al., 2017). Recent evidence

regarding to neurobiological claims that memory color has an impact in color appearance. On the other

hand, recent study sees participants brain activity regarding to specific colors where they present images

in grayscale shade of color diagnostic objects. The primary visual cortex is responsible in responses in

color-specific such as the grayscale shades in images, and it is defined as foundation in recognizing
colors. It is assumed that how humans remember colors produce on how people perceive the impression

of the color (Witzel & Hansen, 2019).

Generally, human visual cortex focuses more on processing information, and recognizing. With

the help of sensory organs, people able to see and reflect colors that could retain to the brain. Moreover, it

is said that colors have an effect in neurobiological as humans’ memory performance enhance by

perceiving specific color.

The current study attempts to know if the colors yellow, orange, and red increases the memory

retention performance of college students. Since there has been a lack of acknowledgement on which

color has the most beneficial effect to memory retention. The research question presented: Does using

color to background presentations affect the memory retention of college students?

 METHOD OVERVIEW

Design and participants

The hypothesis of the study will be tested through the pre-test and post design, where the

participants of the study will be selected randomly assigned into the control and experimental group of

the study. The experimental group will be the only one receiving the treatment. There will be 80 college

students from the Multimedia arts program of NU-Laguna who will participate in this study. The

distribution will be 40 for the experimental group and 40 for the treatment group.

Procedure and Independent Variables

The experiment will be conducted in a classroom setting since this will give the learners a more

natural environment of when they are learning. The participants will be instructed to remember the words

that will be shown to them. The independent variable of the study is the colored background presentation

that will be flashed via television for the participants to see. The experiment group for the pre-test will be

exposed to three colored backgrounds with blacked inked numbers thrice, the first slide will have a

yellow-colored background containing 4 words, followed by the second slide orange background with 6

words and the last slide will have a red background containing 8 words in total, each slide will be exposed

to the participants for at least 20 seconds. The same procedure will be done to the control group, but the

presentation will only be a white background. The experiment will be done at the same time in two

different rooms. The participants of the experiment after the exposure time will be given 2 minutes to
recall the proper sequence of the numbers per slide. (Olurinola & Tayo, 2015). The post-test will be done

right away after the recall of the participants are done; the same procedure will be done but the

experimenters will be inserting images together with the word and will be in reversed order. A short

interview from both experimental and control group will be conducted after the recalling session to know

what colors contributed most for their memory retention performance.

Dependent measures

The retention rate is the ability of the participants to retrieve the information that was asked of

them to study and the memory retention serves as the dependent variable of the current study. The digit

span test is the one used in this study to measure the memory span of an individual and the basis of

measurement is the number of items that the participants in the study can retain or recall in a serial order.
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