Beyond Pink and Blue: A Look at Gender Colors

It goes beyond culture. There is science behind the gender-relationships when it comes to colors. A study by John Hallock compares the color preferences among various demographics and takes into account information collected from 22 countries.

Our friends at KissMetrics put together this informative infographic that tears down the gender barriers to reveal what really goes on in visualizations.

Click any portion to enlarge.

Colors by Gender

The Color Purple – The most notable gender difference can be seen in the color purple. The study reported that 23% of female participants chose purple as their favorite. No males chose purple.

Blue Reigns Supreme – Both males and females like the color blue, which receives favor with 35% of female respondents and more than half of the male respondents. Tomes could be written about the color blue and why people like it so much. Blue is universally associated with clean water, clear skies, authority, truth, tranquility, etc. – making it a perennial favorite among all ages groups and genders.

A Closer Look

In 2007, Doctor Anya Hurlbert and Yazhu Ling created an experiment to explore how men and women differ in their perceptions of color.

Results of the Experiment

The experiment showed that men and women both preferred blue out of the sets of colors. When asked to choose from mixed colors, women liked colors that are closer to the red end of the spectrum, where shades of pink are found.

Color Naming: Men Keep It Simple

What may be simply “purple” to a man could be grape, plum, or any other fruit-like variant to a woman.