In the past, Adachi Ward, located on the outskirts of Tokyo, was a rundown area where incidents of trespassing, robbery, and theft frequently occurred. As crime became rampant, the local residents even formed patrol squads to monitor the area. However, since 2007, the crime rate miraculously dropped to 0%.
“Adachi Ward in Tokyo Replaces Streetlights with Blue Ones”
Just before the crime rate fell to zero, Adachi Ward installed streetlights emitting blue light instead of the usual yellow. This change led to a significant decrease in crime, restoring peace to the community.
Similarly, in 2005, Nara City in Japan installed blue-emitting streetlights, resulting in a 30% reduction in crime. Following these successes, 39 other areas in Japan also installed blue streetlights.
“The Psychological Impact of Red and Blue”
What relationship exists between the color of streetlight and crime rates that prompted such decisions in Japan? To address this question, the program “The Two Faces of Humanity,” aired on EBS, devised an experiment.
Participants were divided into two groups and placed in two different rooms—one painted red and the other blue.
Participants were instructed to leave the room when they felt 20 minutes had passed, without knowing the actual time.
“Psychological Effects Experienced by People in the Blue Room”
The experiment’s results indicated that color influences psychology. Participants in the red room left between 14 to 17 minutes, with an average of 16 minutes.
Conversely, those in the blue room left between 21 to 27 minutes, averaging 24 minutes. The experiment was repeated four times, yielding similar results each time.
“Psychological Impacts of Red and Blue”
The experiment concluded that human psychology is affected by color. Red induces anxiety and tension, increasing pulse and blood pressure, causing participants to feel time passes quickly.
In contrast, blue conveys stability and calmness. It provides tranquility, making participants feel relaxed and perceive time as passing more slowly.
“Color Psychology”
Color psychology, which examines how colors affect human psychology, is utilized in various fields, including marketing. For instance, McDonald’s uses a combination of red and yellow to stimulate psychological responses.
Food photographed under red and yellow lighting appears more appetizing, while blue lighting makes it seem less appealing, highlighting the influence of color on human perception.