Opposing Effects of Colorations added to Humorous Illustrations

A series of works formed the basis for creating a new classification of colorations divided into reassuring and playful hues as compared to alarming and serious ones (Biasi, Bonaiuto and Giannini, 2007, in Colore e Colorimetria: Contributi Multidisciplinari, Vol III, A Rizzi, Florence, Centro Ed Toscano). The reassuring and playful colours are pink, orange, sky blue, pale yellow, light green and other pastel hues, while the alarming and serious colours include black, grey, purple, olive green and dark blue. A large number of humorous illustrations on various topics and published in specific journals were first collected. For each topic, three typical illustrations were then chosen and arranged in various versions: black and white; in acrylics for the alarming and serious version or for the reassuring and playful one; and a mixed version. Each version was evaluated individually by adults of both genders who them gave a humour score ranging from 0 (minimum) to 10 (maximum). It was hypothesised that humour scores would be significantly higher with the reassuring and playful colours, lower with the alarming and serious hues, and intermediate with the mixed or black-and-white versions. The results constantly confirmed the working hypotheses.