What colors affect our moods?

Well, all colors have some effect. They have some effect, not just on mood, but on all sorts of different outcomes for us. In the Olympics, what they did a while ago is they decided that they were going to randomly assign each competitor to either wear blue or red. One of the things that research has discovered was when we wear red, we feel stronger, we feel more dominant. And when you see someone else wearing red, you perceive them as more dominant.

Does that mean if I'm going in for a negotiation for a job, I should be wearing red or an interview or a date?

Yes, it will do that. It'll make you seem more dominant. It also turns out to make people more attractive to others.

Wow. And what colors calm us down?

The most calming colors are generally blues and greens. And I think a lot of that is the association we have with nature. Natural environments are very calming. And so I think a lot of it comes from just the calmness you get with the association with those colors.