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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
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THURSDAY, AUGUST 26, 2010
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SEEING RED
The color of desire
Study: Women find red more attractive
BY KELLY STRODA kstroda@kansan.com
Wearing KU blue is a staple at athletic events at the University, but guys might want to consider rocking the crimson if they want to attract more ladies.
That's right — women might find men wearing red more attractive, according to a recent study.
The Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, a journal published by the American Psychological Association, released a study with these findings earlier this month.
The study suggested that women in the United States, England, China and Germany found men more attractive and desirable if the man was wearing red or was surrounded by red.
Although this experiment still needs to be replicated to hold up as fact, Stephen Ilardi, professor of psychology, said the findings aren't inconceivable.
"Red is a color we notice," Ilardi said. "And what makes red so attention-grabbing? Well, it's the color of blood."
Different species of primates
use red markings to show both dominance and hierarchy. Humans might not be all that different
It's possible that our visual systems are hard-wired to register red as a color of significance, Ilardi said.
In the study, a photo of a moderately attractive male was shown to groups of men and women. The background color of the photo or the color of the shirt the man was wearing was altered. Participants were then asked to rate the attractiveness of the male on a nine-point scale with nine being "extremely attractive."
Photo Illustration by Adam Buhler/KANSAN
In both experiments women found the man wearing or surrounded by red more attractive by about one-point, which is a significant jump statistically. Changes in color had no effect on male participants.
Not all guys are convinced a change in color would make much of a difference. Trevor Lucas, a sophomore from Louisburg, said he would rather wear clothes he is comfortable in.
Grayson Warrior, a junior from Lamont, Okla., also said he wouldn't change his wardrobe to attract more women.
"Why should I wear a certain color to attract someone instead of them just being attracted to me?" Warrior said.
Still, wearing red attire could
help the impression a guy makes.
Karen Parente, a junior from Overland Park, said she thought if a guy wore red, he would stand out in a crowd and show that he's more confident.
Ihardi agreed that this was definitely possible. He said if a man can pull off wearing red, it could
At the same time, wearing red could signal arrogance or a tendency to take risks, Illardi said, which might not be appealing to every woman.
say something about his level of confidence or level of status.
Emi Torres, a senior from Lawrence, said she thought purple
was the most attractive color on a guy.
"Purple is one of those colors that, although it is associated with femininity," she said, "I think that
if a guy can wear it confidently, it shows his masculinity."
SEE WHAT STUDENTS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THE COLOR OF ATTRACTION ON www.kansan.com.
Edited by Michael Bednar
INTERNATIONAL
Pakistani students send relief home
BY KELLY MORGAN kmorgan@kansan.com
Members of the Pakistani Students Association have a heavy burden to bear. For four weeks they have helplessly watched nearly 17.2 million of their countrymen lose their homes, loved ones and means of survival to the abnormally high flooding of monsoon season.
"The UN released a report that says that if you combine those affected by the Haitian earthquake, the South Asian tsunami, and the 2005 Pakistani earthquake together then it still isn't as many as those affected by the flooding," said Rubina Firdous, a junior from Karachi, Pakistan.
Moved by the outcry of the millions of refugees, the Pakistani Students Association decided it was time to stop wishing for the situation to improve and to start making it improve.
"Everyone realized the intensity of this disaster," said Eman Siddiqui, a sophomore from Karachi. "We realized that something needed to be done."
The students decided to hold a fundraiser today in front of Wescoe Hall. The group will be collecting donations for the victims of the Pakistani floods with all proceeds benefiting the Citizens Foundation, a non-profit organization geared towards the education of Pakistani children.
"It builds schools all over Pakistan for underprivileged children," Siddiqi said. "Everything from their books to their school supplies to tuition to uniforms, everything is paid for."
A donation of $10 is enough to provide a Pakistani student with a month's worth of schooling. While the members of the Pakistani Students' Association said they understood that not everyone was able to donate $10 on a student salary, they said every little bit helped.
"Here, you are having food, you are having clothes but look at those children who even don't have safe water to drink." Firdous said. "Donating can save a person's life and saving another's life is the best thing in this world."
The group decided to focus on education due to the stability it can provide in the often unstable lives of many Pakistani children.
Hearing loss rates increase in young adults
"Even before the floods, Pakistan was also playing a major role in the war on terrorism," said Ali Mahmood, a recent KU graduate. "So there are a lot of things going on in the country already and then there's a natural disaster and the government doesn't have the funds to handle it alone."
The Pakistani Students Association only plans to be at Wescoe for one day. However, if the response is positive enough, they will extend their fundraising campaign for another week.
"If you don't study then you can probably get into the hands of the extremists which we don't want to have," Firdous said. "They are the future of Pakistan and we want them to study."
Kelsey Richardson/KANSAS Chelsea Milton, a freshman from St. Louis, listens to music while waiting for the bus in front of Budig. Milton has a pair of pitt headphones on Sony, and she uses them whenever she is on campus or traveling to visit family.
With the recent flooding, education has become an even more important factor in children's lives.
Edited by Tim Dwyer
Kelsey Richardson/KANSAM
BY SAMANTHA COLLING
scollins@kansan.com
Every day, Laura Wilson wanks to class, her iPod blaring her favorite songs into her earbuds. Once she turns off the music, her ears are filled with another sound that only she can hear — ringing.
"I know the fact that I hear ringing isn't good for me, since I have awful hearing anyway." Wilson, a senior from Dallas, said. "I just love my music to be loud, especially when I want to zone out while walking to class."
A recent study from the Journal of the American Medical Association revealed that general hearing loss among young adults increased by 5 percent over the past 10 years. Scientists cannot explain the loss.
Tiffany Johnson, director of the human auditory research laboratory, said there was no concrete data that explained this increased rate in hearing loss. But some audiologists believe that the loud noise from concerts, headphones, motorcycles and other noisy hobbies may lead to hearing loss, Johnson said.
Permanent hearing loss is caused when loud noise damages the hair cells in the cochlea, a snail-shaped structure of the inner ear. These cells interpret sounds coming from outside the ear into neural signals that are sent to the brain for processing. Without the hair cells, this process cannot function.
"This is permanent hearing loss. It can never be fixed," Johnson said.
Noise-induced hearing loss is preventable, said Susan Megerson.
an auditory gist from the Kansas City area. There are three factors of noise-induced hearing loss: the sound level of the noise, the amount of time exposed to the noise and
was not the most hazardous form of noise.
"The point that I always try to make is that there are other things more hazardous than listening to a loud iPod."
SUSAN MEGERSON
Audiologist
"The point that I always try to make is that there are other things more hazardous than listening to a loud iPod," Megerson said.
how often the exposure occurs.
She said loud music from an iPod
Background noises from the environment such as construction and
see an audiologist when a person experiences issues with his or her hearing. Megerson recommended that people visit a professional if they experience hearing problems, ringing or pain in their ears.
Students can contact the Department of Speech-Language-Hearing for an appointment by calling 785-864-0630. Megerson said the best way to avoid hearing damage is to protect the ears from loud noises. Students can purchase earplugs at pharmacies, hardware stores and sports centers to protect their hearing.
loud cars can also damage hearing.
The key is to learn when to
— Edited by David Cawthon
index
Classifieds...6A Opinion...5A
Crossword...4A Sports...1B
Cryptoquips...4A Sudoku...4A
All contents, unless stated otherwise, © 2010 The University Daily Kansan
University researcher heads overseas for study
David Blackburn received a $709,000 grant to study amphibians in the oases of the world's largest desert, the Sahara. RESEARCH 6A
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