Color Choices: Made through Imitation?

                It is seen that the different genders have different color preferences. The question is where does this come from? Where are children taught that there are certain colors for boys and girls? There is some research that proves that children are not necessarily told to like blue or pink, but instead they learn which colors to like, use, and wear through imitation.

                Imitation is a very important aspect to the social learning theory.  Children learn by watching positive models. When a little girl often sees her mom wearing pink or another warm color, it is installed in her that girls wear warmer colors, especially when she sees her dad wearing colder colors, like blue or green consistently. The child’s color choices are made through imitation.

                Along the same lines as imitating color choices for clothing, children sometimes also imitate the colors they use in projects.  In a study conducted by Judy Rosenblith, Imitative Color Choices in Kindergarten Children, an experiment was done showing whether children rely on imitation for color choices or not.  The research showed that the color of the pencil being used did not matter as much as imitating the same sex model. The experiment consisted of doing a maze on paper with colored pencils. First the child did the maze on their own and had the choice of a red, blue, green, blue or yellow pencil. The yellow pencil had regular lead though. They were not told which color to use at all. Three weeks after they completed the first maze, they were taken again to do the experiment except this time they had someone to “play’ with. They partnered the child first with an adult of the same sex then later with the opposite sex. The child imitated the color choice of the adult of the same sex rather than of the opposite sex (Rosenblith, 1961). When the boy saw the male adult chose a blue pencil, he was more likely to use the blue pencil. When he saw him use a red pencil, the child used a red pencil. When the boy saw the female use a red pencil, he was more likely to use the blue. The children imitative the color choices of their same sex models.

                Rosenblith’s research shows that although color choices play a role in a child’s life, they make these choices through imitation. Parents and media tell children which colors they should choose. The study by Rosenblith was done on children in kindergarten. This just shows that younger children rely on imitation in color choices, which also helps people to better understand why children’s favorite colors change as they get older. When they are younger they choose colors that they see models of the same sex choose. As they get older they are able to start making their own decisions and conclusions about colors.

Dad and son both dressed in blue. Although they probably dressed the son in this color on purpose for the photo, it instills in the child later that I should dress like dad.



The same goes for this little girl with her mother. The picture may have been preplanned, but it is telling the little girl that her mother is wearing pink so  this is a good color choice. Children at a young age are likely to imitate the choices their parents make or better yet are forced to make the color choices they make.

Rosenblith, Judy F. (1961). Imitative Color Choices in Kindergarten Children. Child Development, Vol. 33 Issue 1, 211-223.