Colour on the Brain Reading Answers

Dec 21, 2023

Colour on the Brain Reading Answers is a general training topic taken from Practice Tests for IELTS 2 - Volume 2. It contains 11 questions and answers about the different effects that colours have on the brain. Colour on the Brain Reading Answers contains complete the summary, and Classify the following statements type of questions. Candidates are required to read the IELTS Reading passage and answer by choosing which paragraph contains choose the correct letter, and classify the following ideas type of questions. Answers for each type of question in the passage are based on their understanding. Candidates can gain proficiency on diverse topics by undertaking IELTS Reading practice papers to get more topics like Colour on the Brain Reading Answers.

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Section 1

Read the following passage to answer the questions given below.

Colour on the Brain Reading Answers

Colour on the Brain

scientific study reveals the different effects that colours have on the brain. A Paint your room red if you want attention to detail and paint it blue to prompt creative thinking. This is the conclusion of a study into how colour is likely to affect the human mind. Scientists who monitored the performance of more than 600 people as they underwent a series of psychological tests found that red stimulated a person's attentiveness whereas blue stimulated the imagination and inspired more of a risk-taking attitude.
The researchers found that the volunteers were unaware of the effect that colour had on their thinking and suggest that the findings could be used for anything from choosing the interior decoration of a school or university to the marketing of products and services.
Previous research produced contradictory conclusions in terms of the benefit or otherwise of exposing people to a background colour of red or blue while asking them to carry out a thinking task, according to Juliet Zhu of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, who carried out the study published in the journal Science. 'Prior research found conflicting results in terms of which colour - red or blue - leads to better performance, said Dr Zhu. We show that if the task requires detailed attention, red will help more, but if the task is creative in nature, blue will be more beneficial. It really depends on the nature of the task'.
Humans, like other primates, have trichromatic, three colour vision, which evolutionists believe came about as a result of the need to distinguish easily between ripe and unripe fruit in a forest. But the influence of red and blue on our modern way of thinking is probably a learnt behaviour rather than being innate, Dr Zhu said. We think the difference between red and blue is due to learnt associations, she said.
That's why I expect that if in another culture red is often associated with other meanings, we might not be able to replicate the results of this study. Thanks to stop signs, emergency vehicles and teacher's red pens, we associate red with danger, mistakes and caution. The avoidance motivation, or heightened state, that red activates makes us vigilant and so helps us to perform tasks where careful attention is required to produce a right or wrong answer.
Blue meanwhile, is associated with a clear sky or an open ocean, and as such it is the colour that encourages us to think 'outside the box' and to be creative. It is also the colour of calmness and tranquillity. Dr Zhu explained, 'Through associations with the sky, the ocean and water, most people associate blue with openness, peace and tranquillity. The benign cues make people feel safe without being creative and exploratory - not surprisingly, it is people's favourite colour.
Six different psychological tests were carried out on the volunteers. One involved a memory task; recalling 36 words within a two; minute period. People did better when the background colour on the computer screen was red, whereas blue led to more false recalls. Another challenged people to think of as many different uses for a pile of bricks as they could. Red or blue did not affect the total number of ideas, but blue did result in a significantly higher score in terms of the creative content of the idea.
Several of the tests investigated how colour affects a person's attitude to an advertising campaign. A red background stimulated a person's attention to the detailed technological capabilities of a camera, whereas a blue background was more likely to stimulate ideas about what the camera could be used for. Similarly, an advertisement for a fictional brand of toothpaste was found to have a greater impact for a negative message, such as 'cavity prevention, if red was used as the background colour.
But blue had a greater impact for a positive message, such as tooth whitening. Dr Zhu said that the background colour used in advertisements could have subtly different effects on a potential consumer. When the background co lour of ads was red, people formed more favourable evaluations of products featuring specific product details as opposed to evocative or creative messaging.
However, blue produced the opposite effect. Dr Zhu said, If we are setting up educational facilities that intend to enhance performance on detail; oriented tasks, such as memory and proofreading, or if we want people to remember important side; effects of medications, then the colour red should be more appropriate. However, if we want to set up a brainstorming session for a new product; development process or coming up with innovative ideas, then go with blue'.
'Blue if you want to be creative, red www.ieltsfever.com if you want to be diligent'.

Section 2

Answers and Explanation

Questions 14-21

Complete the summary using the list of words, A-L, below. Write the correct letter, A-L in boxes 14-21 on your answer sheet.

A recent study has found that the colour red can encourage people to produce 14 ......... work and blue can make people15 …... to take risks. Researchers conducted tests on volunteers to find out whether cognitive performance 16 ......... when people saw red or blue. The volunteers performed a series of tasks with words or images displayed against red or blue backgrounds on computer screens. Red groups were 17 ......... in tests of memory. They performed 18 ......... on tests which required more creative responses, such as inventing different uses for a pile of bricks. Blue groups produced 19 ....... ideas. The study also tested responses to advertising and found that advertisements which listed product details were 20 ......... with the volunteers when displayed on red backgrounds. Advertisements which used imaginative designs were 21 ......... than those displayed on blue backgrounds.

more successful
more detailed
less well
actually
increased
more effective
more appropriate
more popular
varied
more likely
more original
less appealing

Questions 22-26

Classify the following statements as referring to

red
blue

Write the correct letter A or Bin boxes 22-26 on your answer sheet.

It may help People recall information more easily.
It may encourage people to experiment with ideas.
It may enable people to avoid dangerous situations.
It may make people less wary about taking risks.
It may enable people to concentrate more easily

Question 14

Answer: B
Supporting statement: We show that if the task requires detailed attention, red will help more,
Keywords: detailed.
Keyword Location: 9th line, paragraph B.
Explanation: In the 9th line of paragraph B, it clearly states that the colour red can encourage people to produce detailed work.

Question 15

Answer: J
Supporting statement: Blue stimulated the imagination and inspired more of a risk-taking attitude.
Keywords: risk
Keyword Location: last line, paragraph A.
Explanation: In the last line of paragraph A, it clearly states that Blue stimulated the imagination and inspired more of a risk-taking attitude.

Question 16

Answer: I
Supporting statement: A series of psychological tests found that red stimulated a person's attentiveness whereas blue stimulated the imagination and inspired more of a risk-taking attitude.
Keywords: researchers, tests
Keyword Location: 4th line, paragraph A
Explanation: In the last 3 lines of paragraph A, it clearly states that scientists who monitored the performance of more than 600 people as they underwent a series of psychological tests found that red stimulated a person's attentiveness whereas blue stimulated the imagination and inspired more of a risk-taking attitude.

Question 17

Answer: A
Supporting statement: People did better when the background colour on the computer screen was red.
Keywords: better.
Keyword Location: 7th line, paragraph D.
Explanation: The second section of paragraph D mentions a memory task; recalling 36 words within a two-minute period. People did better when the background colour on the computer screen was red, whereas blue led to more false recalls.

Question 18

Answer: C
Supporting statement: Red or blue did not affect the total number of ideas, but blue did result in a significantly higher score in terms of the creative content of the idea.
Keywords: creative
Keyword Location: Last line, paragraph D.
Explanation: The last line of paragraph D clearly states that Red or blue did not affect the total number of ideas, but blue did result in a significantly higher score in terms of the creative content of the idea.

Question 19

Answer: K
Supporting statement: Development process or coming up with innovative ideas, then go with blue.
Keywords: blue, ideas.
Keyword Location: 5th line, paragraph F.
Explanation: In the last 2 lines of paragraph F, it clearly states that development process or coming up with innovative ideas, then go with blue if you want to be creative.

Question 20

Answer: H
Supporting statement: Similarly, an advertisement for a fictional brand of toothpaste was found to have a greater impact for a negative message.
Keywords: greater impact.
Keyword Location: 5th line, paragraph E.
Explanation: The 5th line of paragraph E mentions about an advertisement for a fictional brand of toothpaste was found to have a greater impact for a negative message.

Question 21

Answer: L
Supporting statement: However, if we want to set up a brainstorming session for a new product; development process or coming up with innovative ideas, then go with blue'.
Keywords: Brainstorming, innovative.
Keyword Location: 4th and 5th line, paragraph F.
Explanation: The 4th and 5th lines of Paragraph F state about to set up a brainstorming session for a new product; development process or coming up with innovative ideas, then go with blue'.

Question 22

Answer: A
Supporting statement: a memory task; recalling 36 words within a two; minute period. People did better when the background colour on the computer screen was red.
Keywords: Memory
Keyword Location: 7th line, Paragraph D
Explanation: Paragraph D mentions a memory task; recalling 36 words within a two; minute period. People did better when the background colour on the computer screen was red.

Question 23

Answer: B
Supporting statement: Blue did result in a significantly higher score in terms of the creative content of the idea.
Keywords: creative ideas.
Keyword Location: Last line, paragraph D.
Explanation: The last line of paragraph D clearly states that blue did result in a significantly higher score in terms of the creative content of the idea.

Question 24

Answer: A
Supporting statement: Thanks to stop signs, emergency vehicles and teacher's red pens, we associate red with danger, mistakes and caution.
Keywords: denger
Keyword Location: line 7, paragraph C.
Explanation: Line 7 of paragraph C clearly states that red enables people to avoid dangerous situations, as red is used as stop signals for vehicles and teachers also use red pen.

Question 25

Answer: B
Supporting statement: Blue stimulated the imagination and inspired more of a risk-taking attitude.
Keywords: risk.
Keyword Location: Last line, paragraph A.
Explanation: In the last line of paragraph A, it clearly states that blue stimulated the imagination and inspired more of a risk-taking attitude.

Question 26

Answer: A
Supporting statement: People did better when the background colour on the computer screen was red, whereas blue led to more false recalls.
Keywords: people, better.
Keyword Location: line 7, paragraph D.
Explanation: In the 7th and 8th lines of paragraph D, it states about a memory task and people did better when the background colour on the computer screen was red, whereas blue led to more false recalls.

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