Athletes who wear bright shades of red at the Olympics may have a distinct advantage -- or disadvantage, depending on the sport, according to a new study
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Canadian red could be a boon -- or a bust: study
- February 24, 2010 2:40 PM |
- By Erin Valois
Story provided by
By Mary Vallis, National Post
Athletes who wear bright shades of red at the Olympics may have a distinct advantage -- or disadvantage, depending on the sport, according to a new study.
Researchers at York University studied how perceptions of motion are affected by colour. They found that red targets are perceived as moving faster than targets that are green, yellow or blue.
"In sports, the outcome of a competition is supposed to depend on the abilities of the players, rather than the colours they are wearing," Mazyar Fallah, assistant professor in the School of Kinesiology and Health Science in York's Faculty of Health, said in a statement. "However, our research shows it may make sense to wear red in a sport such as figure skating, in which you want to be perceived as quick. In contrast, it may be best to wear another colour in a sport in which a referee is handing out penalties."
So where does this leave our beloved men's hockey team, with their crimson jerseys? Team USA wears blue, of course. Could this be a sign that the finals will end badly?
The study was published today in the Public Library of Science, a peer-reviewed journal.
The study involved five subjects, who each took part in about 1,000 tests. Prof. Fallah said the findings suggest that our subconscious "colour hierarchy" may be based on evolution or reflect the way colours are used our culture, where red features prominently as a symbol of danger (think stop signs and traffic signals).
About the Author
- Bruce Arthur Bruce Arthur is the National Post's national sports columnist. A Vancouver native, he has been with the Post since 2001, and a columnist since 2005. He is covering his second Olympics, after the 2008 Games in Beijing. He expects these Games to be slightly less propagandistic, and for China to win slightly fewer medals.
- Joe O'Connor Joe O'Connor is a roving sports feature writer with an open-ended beat. He joined the National Post in 2002, and has spent the past seven years bouncing from sport to sport, offering fresh perspectives and delivering unique stories wherever he goes. Whether it has been getting Don Cherry to open up about his love life; George Chuvalo to talk about heartbreaking loss; or racing down the side of a mountain with former Crazy Canuck, Dave Irwin, the veteran Postie chases a story wherever it leads. Before joining the newspaper he was a two-time silver medalist at the National Magazine Awards. Vancouver will be his first Olympics.
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