**Replication info**
A group of six students conducted this replication as part of a third-year Group Project at the University of Edinburgh, under the supervision of Kasia Banas.
The study was a direct replication of Experiment 3 from Elliot et al. (2010), using exactly the same materials and a similar sample of undergraduate university students. We did not replicate the effects found by Elliot et al. (2010). However, it should be noted that, unlike in the original study, the sample consisted of students in the UK. Also, the study was run in tandem with another colour-related replication. However, the 'red and romance' study was always run first.
**STUDENT RESEARCHERS**
- Ailsa Bridges
- Fiona Clements
- Khadejsha Israfil
- Paris Mariner
- Claire Matthew
- Fanny Tangen
**PROJECT SUPERVISION**
Kasia Banas
**Abstract of the original study**
In many nonhuman species of vertebrates, females are attracted to red on male conspecifics. Red is also a signal of male status in many nonhuman vertebrate species, and females show a mating preference for high-status males. These red–attraction and red–status links have been found even when red is displayed on males artificially. In the present research, we document parallels between human and nonhuman females' response to male red. Specifically, in a series of 7 experiments we demonstrate that women perceive men to be more attractive and sexually desirable when seen on a red background and in red clothing, and we additionally show that status perceptions are responsible for this red effect. The influence of red appears to be specific to women's romantic attraction to men: Red did not influence men's perceptions of other men, nor did it influence women's perceptions of men's overall likability, agreeableness, or extraversion. Participants showed no awareness that the research focused on the influence of color. These findings indicate that color not only has aesthetic value but can carry meaning and impact psychological functioning in subtle, important, and provocative ways.
***Guide to the files***
**Questionnaire pack**
- This component includes all materials distributed to participants.
**Ethics approval**
- Approval was granted by the University of Edinburgh Psychology Research Ethics Committee (PREC)
**Video of procedures**
**Data, results and SPSS files**
- Original data file, SPSS syntax, an output file
