Color Matters: The Male-Female Divide?
The material on this page demonstrates how to rewrite an article for an expert audience for a general audience: specifically how to write an introduction, how to organize content, and how to adapt content and style.
At the end is a rationale [a general planning document] explaining the rewrite strategies in terms of original purpose and audience, rewritten purpose and audience, content and organization, style, and visuals and format. You can go directly to that rationale [general planning document] by clicking here.
This information is based on Natalia Khouw's "Color Matters — Research: The Meaning of Color for Gender" (http://www.colormatters.com/khouw.html). The web page sometimes loads slowly.
To access the information on this page as an rtf file, click here.
How to write an introduction . . .
Have you ever wondered why you and your husband/other have so much difficulty deciding which sofa or car to purchase? The reason may have something to do with color. Men and women have distinctive color preferences. Some color preferences develop as a result of what society tells us is appropriate (men should not wear pink). Color can also cause changes in bodily functions (such as heart rate). Read on to learn about some known gender preferences/reactions and ways in which this information can be used.
Did you know that ..
- Yellow produces stronger feelings or emotions in men.
- Men prefer blue to red, but women prefer red to blue.
- Women are more color conscious than men.
- Men prefer orange to yellow and women prefer yellow to orange.
- Women have more diverse and flexible color tastes.
- Men prefer stronger, brighter colors while women prefer soft colors.
- Women are more likely than men to have a favorite color.
- Blue stands out more for men.
- Men and women find a colorful room more relaxing than a gray room.
How to organize content . . .
Outline of original Article
|
Outline of rewritten article
|
Some Comments about Re-organization:
When considering the content and the references to past research results, I decided that the general audience would not be interested in the names of authors, dates of research, or overly detailed information about the research. Therefore, I eliminated the literature review, methodology, and analysis. I added information that a general audience would find interesting, information such as that about bodily changes and use of the information in everyday situations. I included the website address to assist the audience in obtaining more information about color.
Content and Style . . .
Men and women respond differently to color and prefer different colors. For example, men prefer blue to red and orange to yellow, whereas women's preferences tend to be the opposite. Yellow produces stronger emotional reactions in men than in women, and blue stands out more for men than for women. Men are generally more tolerant of bold and bright colors than are women; in fact, they seem to prefer bold, bright colors while women prefer soft, cool colors.
On the other hand, women are more color-conscious than men and their tastes are more flexible. Women are more concerned with how items look, and feel they look better when they are colorful (a fact which seems to contradict the research results that women prefer soft, cool colors).
Women can usually identify a significantly greater number of colors than men; they also distinguish among shades and hues of colors using precise terminology. Try listing all the names that you know for "red," "blue," or "yellow." Typically, males don't have many names in their vocabulary beyond those three names. Are those boxes containing 128 crayons targeting females as opposed to males?
Socialization can interfere with color preferences. The color that you choose for your car or house is affected by what your friends might say. For example, men may like yellow, but are seldom observed in yellow clothing or cars. What would their friends think? According to the stereotype, men may view a woman wearing a red dress as hot, sexy, and fast. Are women in red dresses the first ones to be noticed?
Color can cause biological changes in the body that are not specific to either gender. To illustrate, blue decreases the heart rate and has a calming effect. A hyperactive child may become less hyper if placed under a blue light for a short period of time. Colorful areas are more relaxing than gray areas. Men are also more likely to experience stress when placed in gray areas. Prolonged exposure to fluorescent bulbs (similar to those used in schools) can cause hyperactivity. Occasional exposure to pinkish-orange light will curb violent behavior.
When choosing what color of dress to wear or what color scheme to use in your house, use color to help produce the effect you would like to obtain. A family room or bedroom in blue will help you to relax, but rooms with fluorescent lights may cause you to experience insomnia. If you really want to excite your spouse, you should wear red.
A warning — All research findings continue to be experimental. Although color has many beneficial uses, don't make important decisions based on what you've read in this article. Remember too that advertisers use color to convince you to buy their products.
To learn more about color, visit http://www.colormatters.com
Rationale . . .
Original purpose and audience
Natalia Khouw in "Color Matters * Research: The Meaning of Color for Gender" (http://www.colormatters.com/khouw.html) communicates the results of research performed about gender preferences for colors in interior environments. The audience includes experts who have extensive experience with color and ways that it can be used in advertising, as well as managers without such experience. The experts would actually develop the color scheme for advertising; while the managers would be interested in the research simply because they are also involved in advertising, they would probably be interested in only the results (what colors are most effective in advertising).
Rewritten purpose and audience.
In the rewritten article, I share information regarding gender and color, providing some fun information about color as applied to daily events. The rewritten article is directed towards a general audience who will read purely for enjoyment.
Content and Organization.
Khouw uses the IMRAD format of a scientific report (introduction, methods, results, and discussion), including a literature review, detailed research methodology for ease of replication, and references.
My rewrite will focus on the applications of the research and not on the theory or methodology. The literature review will be summarized, presenting the major points without researchers' names or details of their research. If any references are presented, they will be websites suitable for general audiences. The article provides information that readers can share with friends and test with their acquaintances. Many examples will be included.
The organization will focus on the major topics covered, not the research process and results.
Style
Khouw's article is formal in style. Especially in the sections about "Testing Instrument" and "Analysis," passive voice is used to produce a sense of objectivity; for example, "The responses were separated into men and women categories and examined based on the responses to each descriptor." This objective, scientific tone is maintained throughout the discussion of the statistical analysis performed. Some of the terminology is formal and would be unfamiliar to someone unaccustomed to working with such research ("descriptor," "factor analysis," and "underlying construct") or with color ("hue," "medium value dominant," and "high chroma").
The rewritten article will be conversational and informal, using terminology that the audience will understand or, if specialized terms are needed, they will be explained.
Visuals and Format.
The original article contains listings (description of slides, descriptor list, and factors), but no visuals such as line graphs or tables typical of scientific reports. The only formatting used are headings and listings.
The rewritten article will include numerous color photographs illustrating the information, allowing readers to "picture" the information conveyed. If possible, the article would use two- or three-column format, interspersing the photographs throughout.