Choice of Luscher's color violet in a psychiatric sample.

Abstract

Luscher Color Test (Luscher & Scott, 1969) presents eight color patches for a client to twice arrange in order of preference, the order suggesting personality traits. One of the color/personality relationships suggested by Luscher 1s that emotionally disturbed clients may prefer the color violet. Specifically, Luscher (Luscher & Scott, 1969) stated, The mentally mature will normally prefer one of the basic colors; the mentally and emotionally immature on the other hand, may prefer (p. 66 ) . present article offers data on the relationship between emotional disturbance and the choice of violet as the preferred color. Luscher Color Test was completed by 425 male and 718 female patients of an out-patient psychiatric clinic as part of their admission. Color preference was determined by noting the first color choice from the second administration which Luscher considers most accurate. Specific diagnoses were not available. Fewer than 10% of the clients had been hospitalized. male patients ranged in age from 7 yr. to 88 yr. of age (M = 38.36 yr., SD = 17.58). Of the 425 first choices, violet was chosen 47 times as the preferred color, which was only one time more than the color green. Over-all, this places the color violet fourth in rank. female patients ranged in age from 10 yr. to 93 yr. of age (M = 38.41 yr., SD = 16.11). Of the women's 718 first choices, 101 chose violet as the preferred color. As was true of the men, the over-all rank for violet, in terms of preference, was fourth. If these data are broken down by age, they are no more encouraging for the violet/ personality relationship than the previous data. Boys 19 yr. and under ( N = 54) chose violet only eight times (with a ranking of fourth place). Men 20 to 39 yr. of age ( N = 204) chose violet 21 times (equal to green, with a tie for fourth/fifth rank). Males 40-59 yr. ( N = 110) chose violet 8 rimes, a rank of fifth or sixth (tied with brown). Men 60 yr. and older ( N = 57) chose violet 10 times, a tie with red for a rank of second or third. Girls 19 yr. and under ( N = 77) chose the color violet as the first choice 14 times ( a rank of third place). Women 2@ to 39 yr. ( N = 341) ranked violet fourth, choosing 50 times. Women 40 to 59 yr. ( N = 216) chose violet 25 times, a rank of fourth over-all. Women 60 yr. and older ( N = 84) also ranked violet fourth place over-all, with 12 patients preferring it as their first choice. These data clearly indicate that people with emotional problems have no unusual preference for the color violet. fact that all subjects in this study were psychiatric patients attests to this. Luscher's suggestion of a preference for violet correlating with mental or emotional immaturity has not been supported in this study.