The effect of the color red on avoidance motivation

Results of recent studies suggest that the color red induces an voidance motivation. Elliot and his colleagues (e.g., Elliot, Maier, Binser,Friedman, & Pekrun, 2009; Elliot, Maier, Moller, Friedman, & Meinhardt, 2007; Maier, Elliot, & Lichtenfeld, 2008) have conducted a series of experiments demonstrating that participants who were presented with the color red in an achievement context exhibited responses that indicate avoidance motivation. These included impaired task performance, preference for an easier task, local focus of attention, bodily movement away from the stimulus, right prefrontal cortical activity, and so forth (see also Mehta & Zhu, 2009).