Sampling thirty elements from a total of ninety catchwords, using a random-figure
table, the average difference between the percentages of males and females who
selected a certain colour (the most commonly occurring colour), turns out to be less
than 6 percent.
4D. Comparison of colour choice between males and females of various age groups
The division of age groups has been based on data from recent research in this
field2, where around the age of twenty-eight years, a proven change and/or
stabilization of colour preference has been observed (See table 1). The choice of the
limits of the age groups were therefore based on this research.
Also from the literature, it appears that before this age there is a preference for the
primary colours, while after for secondary colours. These differences in colour choice
between the various age groups have been examined with the same sample test as in
The result of this test, using for the various catchwords a set-up as shown in table 4,
hardly confirmed the difference in colour preference between participants younger
than, or older than twenty-eight years of age. The difference in the percentage of the
older or younger group respectively, which crossed off the most commonly occurring
colour, was between 10 and 20 percent in only four out of the thirty cases. This
percentage was never exceeded. In eight out of the thirty cases the scores of male and
female varied on the average between 10 and 20 percent. Here too, the difference
for the most commonly occurring colours, i.e. most often crossed off colour, never
exceeded 20 percent.
Scores below ten per cent in all cases have been left out in this table. The
percentages refer to (A) the proportion of the 172 males under 28 years of age who
crossed-off a certain colour; (B) the proportion of the 213 females under 28 years of 2
age; (C) the proportion of the 213 males over 28 years of age; (D) the proportion of
the 143 females over the age of 28 years who crossed-off a certain colour 1
o
4E. Comparison of colour choice and level of occupation
The relationship between occupational level and the preference for certain colours
was examined by using the same catchwords as under 4 C and 4D and to examine Fig.
whether any significant differences existed between the colour preference for the A v
various occupational levels. After analysis, there appeared to exist a difference of 10 mo!
T"b,e 4' f^gePändfsex'UmnS' de,€rmi"e the difference in colour choice with differences
Catchword: Protestant.
black blue brown yeUow green grey orange purple red white
Group
younger than Male 29%(A)
28 years Female 22%(B)
Group
older than Male 33%(C)
28 years Female 19%(D)
15%
10%
9%
25%
7%
6%
21%
10%
15%
20%
9%
8%
0)
i-
K.N.A.G. Geograßsch Tijdschrift VI (1972) Nr. 3 g l\
