Child Development
Babies' colour preferences investigated
Families are being asked to take part in a new study to find out how babies develop preferences for different colours.
Dr Anna Franlin, Surrey Baby Lab
Surrey Baby Lab, based at the University of Surrey, was set up in 2000 to investigate babies' relationship with colour. The latest study will aim to discover whether all babies share preferences or dislikes for the same colours. Researchers are now looking for infants younger than six months.
Initial studies have looked at how babies see colours, whether male and female infants view colours differently, what colours they prefer and how children learn the words for colours.
Hundreds of local babies have been visiting the Surrey Baby Lab to help answer these questions. Babies visit the centre with their parents for around half an hour and are shown images on a computer screen. A special camera allows researchers to know precisely what the babies are looking at in the image. They can then record what does and does not capture the babies' attention.
Dr Anna Franklin, founder of Surrey Baby Lab, said, 'We all have personal preferences for different colours, but research has shown that there are some colours, for example blues, that are commonly liked and there are other colours, such as dark yellow, that are commonly disliked.
'These patterns of preference appear to be common to many different cultures. We would like to find out whether young babies are also drawn to the same colours. This will tell us something about how babies see colour, and will also help us understand the origins of colour preference.'
FURTHER INFORMATION
For more information or to find out how to take part in the study, contact the Baby Lab team on 01483 682 915 or babylab@surrey.ac.uk or visit www.surrey.ac.uk/babylab.
