Light vs dark: How colour lightness affects the perception of product appropriateness for children and adults – a Polish perspective

Jasny czy ciemny? Jak jasność koloru wpływa na postrzeganie produktów jako odpowiednich dla dzieci i dorosłych – polska perspektywa

The article explores the impact of colour lightness on the perception of product adequacy for consumers in two demographic categories (children versus adults). A pretest preceding the main study identified three demographically neutral objects to be coloured in two lightness variants: light and dark. Subsequently, a series of three studies involving a total of 474 adult participants focused on evaluating a product presented in two colour versions: light and dark, deemed appropriate for children and adults, respectively. The study revealed that light shades of the same colours are considered appropriate for children, while dark shades are perceived as suitable for adults. Thus, the research emphasizes the role of colour lightness in shaping the perception of a product among adult consumers in Poland.

Artykuł opisuje wpływ jasności koloru na percepcję adekwatności produktu do preferencji konsumentów w dwóch kategoriach demograficznych (dzieci kontra dorośli). Pretest poprzedzający badanie główne wyłonił trzy neutralne demograficznie przedmioty, które przedstawiono w dwóch wariantach tego samego koloru: jasnym i ciemnym. Następnie seria trzech badań z łącznym udziałem 474 dorosłych uczestników polegała na ocenie produktu zaprezentowanego w dwóch wariantach koloru: jasnym oraz ciemnym jako dopasowanego odpowiednio do preferencji dzieci i dorosłych. Badanie wykazało, że odcienie jasne tych samych kolorów uważane są za odpowiednie dla dzieci, a odcienie ciemne – dla dorosłych. Tym samym badanie podkreśla rolę jasności koloru w kształtowaniu percepcji produktu wśród dorosłych konsumentów z Polski.

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