RED Is “Happy” but Also “Gloomy”: The Influence of Young People on Color Preference and Emotional Changes During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Dear authors:

The study is interesting to further explore how the pandemic impacted different areas, particularly in relation to the perception of color and its connection to mood. I would like to emphasize the large sample used i, which strengthens the reliability of the findings, as well as the clear description and illustration of the colors.

 Aditionally, here are a few areas that could be improved, such as: 

-  The introduction is too brief and should be expanded to better describe the phenomenon. For example, in the penultimate paragraph, it is necessary to specify how the factors mentioned influence color preferences.

- The terms "pandemic" and "epidemic" are used interchangeably throughout the text. A consistent use of terminology is needed, and "pandemic" seems to be more appropriate.

-  I don't understand why there are no hypotheses, especially considering that there were similar previous studies, which could have been used to either validate or refute the findings.

- In the Method section, details about the procedure are missing, such as whether the application was online or in person, etc.

- It's necessary to specify how participants were invited.

- In Table 4, it is suggested to include the color again, not just the code, or to remove the table if the graph repeats the same information.

- Similary, with Tables 6 and 7, include color in the tables again for better visual clarity. And add a note explaining what Group L and Group H correspond to.

- The study's implications are missing and should be addressed to highlight the potential impact and relevance of the findings.

- It's necessary to include the study's limitations. At first glance, I observe the bias introduced by using retrospective questions.

Lastly, the abstract needs improvement as it is missing some key elements, such as the background and conclusions.

Given the work you've done, these suggestions are aimed at making the article even better.

Best regards.

Author Response

Reviewer 1

Comment 1: The introduction is too brief and should be expanded to better describe the phenomenon. For example, in the penultimate paragraph, it is necessary to specify how the factors mentioned influence color preferences.

Response 1: We agreed with this comment and expanded the introduction to provide a more thorough discussion of how psychological factors, cultural differences, and environmental changes during the pandemic influence color preferences.

Supplementary content (Lines 48-52)

"The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly reshaped people's psychological states, elevating levels of stress and anxiety [13]. Cultural norms further mediate these preferences, as colors may carry unique symbolic meanings in different regions [3]. Environmental changes, such as increased indoor living, may also enhance preferences for calming or bright colors that uplift moods."

Comment 2: The terms "pandemic" and "epidemic" are used interchangeably throughout the text. A consistent use of terminology is needed, and "pandemic" seems to be more appropriate.

Response 2: We appreciate this observation and will revise the manuscript to use "pandemic" consistently.

Comment 3: I don't understand why there are no hypotheses, especially considering that there were similar previous studies, which could have been used to either validate or refute the findings.

Response 3: We agreed with this suggestion and included hypotheses based on prior research. Furthermore, this study compares the results with the hypotheses and discusses the extent to which they support or refute the hypotheses.

Supplementary content (Lines 65-72)

"The study aimed to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on participants’ psychological and emotional states as reflected in their color preferences. Drawing on previous studies, this study proposed two hypotheses: (1) that heightened stress during the pandemic led to increased preferences for cooler, calming colors, and (2) that warmer colors, typically associated with energy, evoked heightened negative emotions in pandemic contexts. Therefore, this study aims to explore the impact of the epidemic on people's color preferences and emotional responses, in order to understand the impact of the epidemic on people's psychological and emotional states."

Supplementary content (Lines 258-268)

"The findings of this study provided partial support for the proposed hypotheses. Consistent with the first hypothesis, the increased preference for cooler colors such as blue and green during the pandemic reflected participants' need for calmness and stability amidst heightened stress. For example, calming colors such as blue and green could be integrated into healthcare environments to reduce patient anxiety, while marketing campaigns could use these colors to evoke a sense of trust and safety during uncertain times [1]. This aligns with findings from prior studies that highlight the calming effects of cooler tones [3, 37, 39]. However, the results partially refuted the second hypothesis, as the negative emotional response to warmer colors like red and orange was not as prominent as expected. Instead, some participants associated these colors with energy and positivity, suggesting that cultural and personal experiences may modulate these responses [37]."

Comment 4: In the Method section, details about the procedure are missing, such as whether the application was online or in person, etc.

Response 4: We added details specifying that the data collection was conducted online via Google Forms, which ensured participant safety during the pandemic.

Supplementary content (Lines 130-132)

"Data were collected through an online survey hosted on Google Forms for ensuring participant safety and accessibility during the COVID-19 pandemic."

Comment 5: It's necessary to specify how participants were invited.

Response 5: We included details about participant recruitment, such as the use of social media platforms, emails, and word-of-mouth referrals.

Supplementary content (Lines 85-86)

"Participants were recruited through targeted social media campaigns and email invitations to maximize diversity in the sample."

Comment 6: In Table 4, it is suggested to include the color again, not just the code, or to remove the table if the graph repeats the same information.

Response 6: Tables 4 has been removed because the Figure 1 repeats the same information.

Comment 7: Similarly, with Tables 6 and 7, include color in the tables again for better visual clarity. And add a note explaining what Group L and Group H correspond to.

Response 7: Tables 6 and 7 have been removed because the Figures 2 and 3 repeat the same information. We included footnotes in Figures 2 and 3 explaining the adjective codes for improved clarity.

Supplementary content (Lines 205-208 and 219-222)

"Note: A1 (shiny-dull), A2 (warm-cool), A3 (light-heavy), A4 (bright-dark), A5 (enthusiastic-indifferent), A6 (sweet-bitter), A7 (fresh-cloudy), A8 (luxurious-plain), A9 (happy-gloomy), A10 (calm-restless). L and H represent groups with low and high levels of pandemic impact, respectively."

"Note: C1 (RED), C2 (ORANGE), C3 (ORANGE-YELLOW), C4 (YELLOW-GREEN), C5 (GREEN), C6 (BLUE-GREEN), C7 (GREEN-LAKE), C8 (NAVY-BLUE), C9 (BLUE), C10 (BLUE-PURPLE), C11 (PURPLE), C12 (FUCHSIA), C13 (BLACK), C14 (GREY), and C15 (WHITE). L and H represent groups with low and high levels of pandemic impact, respectively."

Comment 8: The study's implications are missing and should be addressed to highlight the potential impact and relevance of the findings.

Response 8: We added a section discussing the implications of the findings, highlighting how the findings could provide guidance.

Supplementary content (Lines 250-257)

"This study used a questionnaire to explore participants' color preferences and emotional responses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Color preferences identified in this study can help businesses adapt to consumers' evolving needs and preferences by selecting colors that influence emotions and enhance quality of life. For example, incorporating cooler colors like blue and green in branding can evoke trust and calmness during crises, while tourism destinations could use bright, warm colors to create an energizing atmosphere [1]. Additionally, mental health facilities might apply pastel shades to reduce anxiety and promote emotional well-being [37]."

Comment 9: It's necessary to include the study's limitations. At first glance, I observe the bias introduced by using retrospective questions.

Response 9: We included a section on study limitations, addressing potential recall bias introduced by retrospective questions and the generalizability of online surveys.

Supplementary content (Lines 391-39)

"This study has several limitations. For instance, the data were collected using self-reported questionnaires, which may introduce recall bias. Additionally, the sample was limited to a specific geographic region, which could restrict the generalizability of the findings. Future studies could use longitudinal designs to minimize recall bias and improve the reliability of findings. For instance, researchers could conduct surveys every six months after the pandemic to track changes in participants' preferences for colors. This approach would help observe whether color preferences shift significantly during the post-pandemic period."

Comment 10: Lastly, the abstract needs improvement as it is missing some key elements, such as the background and conclusions.

Response 10: We revised the abstract to include a brief background, a clear summary of the findings, and concise conclusions.

Abstract (Lines 5-21)

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted human psychological and emotional states, influencing behaviors, including color preferences. This study aimed to explore how the pandemic affected people's color preferences and emotional responses, shedding light on the broader implications for psychological well-being. A total of 231 participants were divided into two groups based on the depth to which they were affected by the pandemic, considering factors such as personality, family, friends, work/lessons, relationships, and consumption. The findings revealed four key results: (1) Participants' preference for cooler colors such as blue and green increased, reflecting a need for calmness and stability during heightened stress, while their preference for warm colors decreased. (2) Personal consumption was identified as the most severely impacted area. (3) The pandemic reduced people's overall preference for warm colors. (4) The pandemic triggered strong negative and contradictory emotions. These results highlight the significant shift towards cooler colors, which are associated with calmness, and suggest important applications in design, marketing, and mental health initiatives. Understanding the psychological effects of the pandemic on color preferences provides valuable insights across multiple fields and emphasizes the importance of adapting to the reshaped aspects of human behavior in the face of future challenges."

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

RE: Manuscript Youth-3174950: RED is “happy” but also “gloomy”: The influence of young people on color preference and emotional changes during the COVID-19 epidemic

COMMENTS FOR THE AUTHOR:

I enjoyed reading the manuscript, which examines the impact the COVID-19 epidemic has on people’s color preferences and emotional responses to further understand people’s psychological and emotional states. This study addresses an important and timely topic area and addresses a gap in research as it relates to a specific population. The study is methodologically strong, and the methodology and analysis is thoroughly outlined. My main concern of the manuscript pertains to the organization of the results section and how information is reported in a few of the tables. I believe this study is well designed, extremely important and informative, and I was excited to review it. I’ve listed specific feedback based on the line number below.

Introduction

Line 50: Change word “are” to “can”.

Line 55: remove the word “therefore”.

The authors might consider providing a brief description explaining the difference between the terms “pandemic” and “epidemic” as both words are used throughout the manuscript.

Method

Lines 64-65: Please clarify if the authors are investigating the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on participants or vice versa. As the sentence reads now, it appears the authors are investigating the participants impact on the COVID-19 epidemic.

Line 73: Add a transition sentence to the beginning of this section to help orient the reader.

Line 73: Remove comma after the in-text citations.

Table 1: Table 1 is not mentioned in the text of the manuscript. It is appropriate to provide a brief a sentence about Table 1 in line 75.

Line 80: Provide a brief description of the VIVID color system of the PCCS color system Mainly. The authors might also want to consider defining the acronyms for clarity for the reader.

Line 81: Write 15 rather than spell out.

Table 2: A footnote explaining the Table would assist the reader in understanding the context of the table as it pertains to the text. For example, as a standalone, it is not clear if the table is identifying the colors participants discussed or the colors that were used to categorize cool and warm tones in the manuscript.

Line 87: Provide a transition sentence at the beginning of this section to discuss why a questionnaire was used.

Table 3: The information provided in the footnote is detailed and enhances the reader’s ability to understand the table.

Part II: Assess suitability between colors and adjectives: Yellow as an example. This table needs to be discussed in the questionnaire design section, I think. It is unclear given the placement of the table in the manuscript, but it appears to be related to the Part 1: Basic information survey. Providing a sentence or two explaining this table in the text (perhaps in the 2.4 section, line 91) would support including this information in the manuscript. Also, I am a bit confused with this table based off the footnote explanation. Is this one participant’s response pertaining to the color yellow? The note mentions the score, however, does not provide detailed information about the score. A footnote can help clarify for the reader.  

Line 109: Rephrase sentence for clarity. For example, SPSS statistical software (include citation) was used to analyze the questionnaire results to determine if the participants’ perception of color was affected by the epidemic.

Lines 110-111: Begin sentence with “An independent sample….” (remove the first few words of the sentence), and add hyphen to “T-test”.

Results

Table 4: The title states the numbers in brackets are the frequency; however, brackets are not listed in the table.

Line 137: Remove the word “the”.

Line 138: Add a word such as “category” or consider removing the word “the”.

Line 146: Revise this sentence for clarity. For example: “…the participants’ perceptions of different emotions regarding their epidemic level.”

Table 6: The authors might consider listing the adjective code in the table or providing a footnote of the adjective codes to strengthen this table and readability.

Figure 2: The y-axis description is not easy to read.

Section “3.5 The impact of the epidemic….FUCHSIA colors”. Suggest adding a table to support the results or another option is instead of a table, explain the adjective codes in the text. For example, (line 177) “…RED…different in A7 (fresh-cloudy), A9 (happy-gloomy) and A 10 (calm-restless)….” The less the reader needs to refer back to Table 1 will strengthen this section.

Tables and Figures: The authors might want to consider only providing Figures 1, 2, and 3 as they are detailed, thorough, and a better description of the findings than the tables. The authors might then consider removing Tables 4, 6, 7.

Discussion

Line 276: Change the word “will” to “can”.

I suggest adding a paragraph or two on the implications of the findings. The authors mention in the introduction that “color preference can help businesses adapt to consumers’ changing needs and preferences and adjust people’s emotional state by choosing appropriate colors that can improve people’s quality of life and health”; therefore, a paragraph or two on how businesses, tourism, and mental health and medical settings can use these findings strengthens the importance of this research.

Conclusion

Line 316: Suggest adding “COVID-19 outbreak” or replacing “outbreak” with the word “pandemic”.

Appendices

Appendix B: This appendix is not referenced in the text and can be done so in line 75 when Appendix A is discussed.

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Author Response

Reviewer 2

Introduction

Comment 1: Line 50: Change word “are” to “can”.

Response 1: We revised this sentence to use "can," reflecting a more flexible statement.

Supplementary content (Lines 60-61)

"The reasons for the above-mentioned differences in color preference can based on gender..."

Comment 2: Line 55: remove the word “therefore”.

Response 2: We removed the word "therefore" to improve readability.

Comment 3: The authors might consider providing a brief description explaining the difference between the terms “pandemic” and “epidemic” as both words are used throughout the manuscript.

Response 3: We appreciate this observation and will revise the manuscript to use "pandemic" consistently, as it better reflects the global scope of COVID-19.

Method

Comment 4: Lines 64-65: Please clarify if the authors are investigating the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on participants or vice versa. As the sentence reads now, it appears the authors are investigating the participants impact on the COVID-19 epidemic.

Response 4: We clarified that the study investigated how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted participants’ color preferences and emotional responses.

Supplementary content (Lines 79-82)

"This study invited 231 participants aged 18 to 30 (107 males; 124 females; mean age=22.96 years; SD=2.71) to investigate the impact influenced participants' color preferences and emotional responses on the COVID-19 pandemic using a 7-point Likert scale, including: Personality, Family, Friends, Work/Lessons, Relationships, and Consumption."

Comment 5: Line 73: Add a transition sentence to the beginning of this section to help orient the reader.

Response 5: We added a transition sentence to introduce the methodology section, providing a clear link from the introduction.

Supplementary content (Lines 91-93)

"To establish a foundation for this study's exploration of color preferences and emotional responses, a systematic review and refinement of literature on color-related emotional adjectives was conducted."

Comment 6: Line 73: Remove comma after the in-text citations.

Response 6: We removed the comma following the in-text citations.

Comment 7: Table 1: Table 1 is not mentioned in the text of the manuscript. It is appropriate to provide a brief a sentence about Table 1 in line 75.

Response 7: We added a reference to Table 1 in the text, explaining its relevance to the data presented.

Supplementary content (Lines 95-102)

"Table 1 shows the top 10 color-related adjectives ranked by their mean scores. The top three adjectives are shiny-dull(mean=6.40), warm-cold (mean=6.00), and light-heavy (mean=6.00). This indicates that participants preferred emotional tones associated with lightness and warmth, with shiny-dull showing the highest consistency (lowest standard deviation). These results reflect participants' preference for light and warm colors during the pandemic. The detailed calculation and selection process can be found in Appendix A and B."

Comment 8: Line 80: Provide a brief description of the VIVID color system of the PCCS color system Mainly. The authors might also want to consider defining the acronyms for clarity for the reader.

Response 8: We provided a description of the PCCS and VIVID color systems, defining key terms for clarity.

Supplementary content (Lines 106-114)

"PCCS (Practical Color Coordinate System), developed by the Japan Color Research Institute, is a widely recognized color classification framework. This system classifies colors according to three basic dimensions: Hue, saturation, and brightness, which are critical to understanding human color perception [36]. The VIVID category is colors with high saturation and brightness, known for their strong visual impact and ability to inspire strong emotional responses. These bright colors are often used in design and marketing to attract attention and influence consumer behavior [37]."

Comment 9: Line 81: Write 15 rather than spell out.

Response 9: We revised the text to use the numerical form “15” instead of spelling it out.

Supplementary content (Lines 113-114)

“Table 2 highlights the distribution of saturation and brightness for 15 colors...”

Comment 10: Table 2: A footnote explaining the Table would assist the reader in understanding the context of the table as it pertains to the text. For example, as a standalone, it is not clear if the table is identifying the colors participants discussed or the colors that were used to categorize cool and warm tones in the manuscript.

Response 10: We added a detailed footnote to Table 2, clarifying its purpose and the relationship between the table data and the text.

Supplementary content (Lines 117-118 and 135-138)

“For example, RED (C1): 5R6/12 is a set of codes used to describe color properties, indicating the RED hue (5R), high saturation (C32), and medium brightness (L50)of a color.”

''Note: (1)Color Name: The standard names for colors, such as RED and ORANGE. (2)Color No.: Standardized color codes, such as 5R6/12, indicating the hue, saturation, and brightness of a color. (3)Saturation: The purity of the color, with higher values indicating greater saturation. (4)Brightness: The lightness or darkness of a color, ranging from L0 (darkest) to L100 (brightest)."

Comment 11: Line 87: Provide a transition sentence at the beginning of this section to discuss why a questionnaire was used.

Response 11: We added a transition sentence to explain the rationale for using a questionnaire.

Supplementary content (Lines 120-122)

"The questionnaire was specifically designed to measure changes in participants' color preferences and emotional associations during the pandemic, as well as the extent to which different aspects of their lives were affected."

Comment 12: Table 3: The information provided in the footnote is detailed and enhances the reader’s ability to understand the table.

Response 12: We have added detailed footnotes to Table 3 to enhance understanding of the table.

Supplementary content (Lines 153-158)

"Note: Evaluate the suitability of each color with these 10 adjectives. This table uses RED as an example. The scores represent the emotional polarity of color-related adjectives. A smaller score indicates a stronger association with positive adjectives, reflecting favorable emotional responses (e.g., shiny, warm, bright). Conversely, a larger score indicates a stronger association with negative adjectives, reflecting unfavorable emotional responses (e.g., dull, cold, heavy). This scoring approach allows for a clear comparison of participants' emotional associations with different colors."

Comment 13: Part II: Assess suitability between colors and adjectives: Yellow as an example. This table needs to be discussed in the questionnaire design section, I think. It is unclear given the placement of the table in the manuscript, but it appears to be related to the Part 1: Basic information survey. Providing a sentence or two explaining this table in the text (perhaps in the 2.4 section, line 91) would support including this information in the manuscript. Also, I am a bit confused with this table based off the footnote explanation. Is this one participant’s response pertaining to the color yellow? The note mentions the score, however, does not provide detailed information about the score. A footnote can help clarify for the reader. 

Response 13: We have added instructions for the questionnaire in the 2.4 Questionnaire design section. All 15 colors need to be evaluated for agreement between color and adjective, not just yellow. The content presentation format of Table 3 has been readjusted. The scoring method of Part II of Table 3 has been supplemented in the note.

Supplementary content (Lines 120-132 and 153-158)

"The questionnaire was specifically designed to measure changes in participants' color preferences and emotional associations during the pandemic, as well as the extent to which different aspects of their lives were affected. The questionnaire is divided into two parts (Table 3). The Part I is the basic information survey: Gender, age, color preferences before and after the pandemic, and the degree of impact of the pandemic in six areas (such as Personality, Family, Friends, Work/Lessons, Relationships, and Consumption). In Part II, participants were asked to evaluate the suitability between 15 colors and 10 pairs of adjectives, using a 7-point scale (1=Strongly Disagree/ 7=Strongly Agree). Smaller scores indicate stronger positive associations (e.g., shiny, warm, bright), while larger scores reflect stronger negative associations (e.g., dull, cold, heavy). This approach enables clear comparison of participants' emotional responses to different colors. Data were collected through an online survey hosted on Google Forms for ensuring participant safety and accessibility during the COVID-19 pandemic."

"Note: Evaluate the suitability of each color with these 10 adjectives. This table uses RED as an example. The scores represent the emotional polarity of color-related adjectives. A smaller score indicates a stronger association with positive adjectives, reflecting favorable emotional responses (e.g., shiny, warm, bright). Conversely, a larger score indicates a stronger association with negative adjectives, reflecting unfavorable emotional responses (e.g., dull, cold, heavy). This scoring approach allows for a clear comparison of participants' emotional associations with different colors."

Comment 14: Line 109: Rephrase sentence for clarity. For example, SPSS statistical software (include citation) was used to analyze the questionnaire results to determine if the participants’ perception of color was affected by the epidemic.

Response 14: We rephrased the sentence to clarify the analytical method, including a citation for the SPSS software.

Supplementary content (Lines 160-161)

"SPSS statistical software [38] was utilized to analyze the questionnaire data, determining the impact of pandemic on participants' color perception."

Comment 15: Lines 110-111: Begin sentence with “An independent sample….” (remove the first few words of the sentence), and add hyphen to “T-test”.

Response 15: We revised the sentence as suggested, starting with "An independent sample" and correcting the formatting of "T-test."

Supplementary content (Lines 161-162)

"An independent sample T-test was adopted, with "Group" (Low (L) and High (H) affected by the epidemic) as the independent variable..."

Results

Comment 6: Table 4: The title states the numbers in brackets are the frequency; however, brackets are not listed in the table.

Response 16: Tables 4 has been removed because the Figure 1 repeats the same information.

Comment 17: Line 137: Remove the word “the”.

Response 17: We removed the unnecessary word "the" for improved readability.

Supplementary content (Lines 188-189)

"Table 4 shows that Family (mean = 3.33) and Friends (mean = 3.74) are least affected by pandemic."

Comment 18: Line 138: Add a word such as “category” or consider removing the word “the”.

Response 18: We removed the word "the" to clarify the sentence structure and improve understanding.

Supplementary content (Lines 189-190)

"Consumption (mean = 5.05) is the most affected by pandemic, which may be based on the fact that online shopping replaces traditional consumption patterns."

Comment 19: Line 146: Revise this sentence for clarity. For example: “…the participants’ perceptions of different emotions regarding their epidemic level.”

Response 19: We revised the sentence to enhance clarity.

Supplementary content (Lines 196-197)

"Figure 2 shows the participants’ perceptions of different emotions regarding their pandemic level."

Comment 20: Table 6: The authors might consider listing the adjective code in the table or providing a footnote of the adjective codes to strengthen this table and readability.

Response 20: Tables 4 has been removed because the Figure 1 repeats the same information. We included a footnote in Figure 1 explaining the adjective codes for improved clarity.

Supplementary content (Lines 183-185)

"Note: C1 (RED), C2 (ORANGE), C3 (ORANGE-YELLOW), C4 (YELLOW-GREEN), C5 (GREEN), C6 (BLUE-GREEN), C7 (GREEN-LAKE), C8 (NAVY-BLUE), C9 (BLUE), C10 (BLUE-PURPLE), C11 (PURPLE), C12 (FUCHSIA), C13 (BLACK), C14 (GREY), and C15 (WHITE)."

Comment 21: Figure 2: The y-axis description is not easy to read.

Response 21: We added the y-axis description "score" in Figure 2 to improve readability.

Comment 22: Section “3.5 The impact of the epidemic….FUCHSIA colors”. Suggest adding a table to support the results or another option is instead of a table, explain the adjective codes in the text. For example, (line 177) “…RED…different in A7 (fresh-cloudy), A9 (happy-gloomy) and A10 (calm-restless)….” The less the reader needs to refer back to Table 1 will strengthen this section.

Response 22: We included an explanation of the adjective codes in the text.

Supplementary content (Lines 231-248)

"The emotional perception of RED was significantly different in A7 (fresh-cloudy), A9 (happy-gloomy), and A10 (calm-restless) (t=[229]=-2.68, p=0.008; t=[229]=-2.42, p=0.016; t=[ 229]=-2.50, p=0.013, respectively). The emotional perception of ORANGE was significantly different only for A5 (enthusiastic-indifferent) (t=[229]=-1.95, p=0.052). Emotional perception for GREEN was significantly different only for A10 (calm-restless) (t=[229]=-2.13, p=0.028). Both A1 (shiny-dull) and A2 (warm-cool) of emotion perception of BLUE-GREEN have significant difference (t=[229]=-2.15, p=0.032 and t=[229]=-2.07, p=0.040, respectively). There is significant difference between the emotion perception A1 (shiny-dull) and A9 (happy-gloomy) of GREEN-LAKE (t=[229]=-2.30, p=0.022 and t=[229]=-2.44, p=0.015, respectively). The emotional perception of BLUE has significant difference in the emotional perception of A3 (light-heavy), A4 (bright-dark), and A6 (sweet-bitter) (respectively t=[229]=-2.22, p=0.028; t=[229]=-2.80, p=0.006; t=[229]=-2.96, p=0.003). The emotional perception of FUCHSIA was significantly different in A2 (warm-cool), A3 (light-heavy), and A5 (enthusiastic-indifferent) (t=[229]=-2.09, p=0.038; t=[229]=-2.18, p=0.032; t=[229]=-2.03, p=0.045, respectively). Finally, the emotional perception of WHITE was significantly different in A4 (bright-dark), A5 (enthusiastic-indifferent), A8 (luxurious-plain), and A9 (happy-gloomy) (t=[229]=-1.94, p=0.054; t=[229]=-2.31, p=0.022; t=[229]=-2.26, p=0.024; t=[229]=-1.99, p=0.025, respectively)."

Comment 23: Tables and Figures: The authors might want to consider only providing Figures 1, 2, and 3 as they are detailed, thorough, and a better description of the findings than the tables. The authors might then consider removing Tables 4, 6, 7.

Response 23: We evaluated the overlap between tables and figures and retained Figures 1, 2, and 3 while removing Tables 4, 6, 7.

Discussion

Comment 24: Line 276: Change the word “will” to “can”.

Response 24: We revised the sentence and replaced "will" with "can".

Supplementary content (Lines 348-349)

"In particular, GREEN can produce negative emotions under..."

Comment 25: I suggest adding a paragraph or two on the implications of the findings. The authors mention in the introduction that “color preference can help businesses adapt to consumers’ changing needs and preferences and adjust people’s emotional state by choosing appropriate colors that can improve people’s quality of life and health”; therefore, a paragraph or two on how businesses, tourism, and mental health and medical settings can use these findings strengthens the importance of this research.

Response 25: We agreed with this suggestion and added two paragraphs in the discussion section to elaborate on the practical implications of the findings. These paragraphs highlight applications in marketing strategies, tourism design, and mental health care environments.

Supplementary content (Lines 250-257)

"This study used a questionnaire to explore participants' color preferences and emotional responses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Color preferences identified in this study can help businesses adapt to consumers' evolving needs and preferences by selecting colors that influence emotions and enhance quality of life. For example, incorporating cooler colors like blue and green in branding can evoke trust and calmness during crises, while tourism destinations could use bright, warm colors to create an energizing atmosphere [1]. Additionally, mental health facilities might apply pastel shades to reduce anxiety and promote emotional well-being [37]."

Conclusion

Comment 26: Line 316: Suggest adding “COVID-19 outbreak” or replacing “outbreak” with the word “pandemic”.

Response 26: We replaced the term "outbreak" with "pandemic" to align with consistent terminology throughout the manuscript.

Appendices

Comment 27: Appendix B: This appendix is not referenced in the text and can be done so in line 75 when Appendix A is discussed.

Response 27: We referenced Appendix B in the manuscript where Appendix A was discussed, clarifying its relevance and purpose.

Supplementary content (Lines 101-102)

"The detailed calculation and selection process can be found in Appendix A and B."