While most of us consider colors mainly for the aesthetic value, a research led by University of Rochester psychologist Andrew J. Elliot says there is more to it than just design.

In a series of four experiments, high school and college students were assigned tests that contained some element—such as a participant number located in the upper right hand corner of each test page—which possessed a color. These colors included green, red and gray.

In cases where the color red was used, mental performance was impaired. People associate each color with a specific mood. While blue may represent tranquility and peace for many, red evokes a feeling of danger. On the other hand, previous research showed that red outfit gave athletes a performance advantage.

According to the researchers, the findings show that “care must be taken in how red is used in achievement contexts and illustrate how color can act as a subtle environmental cue that has important influences on behavior.”

So, what did I do? I took out my red shorts and started typing this blog post with just my underwear and took out everything red from my sight as I still need to work (and finish) a long-delayed project. By the way, I also read somewhere that blue light enhances brain activity and lessens sleepiness so I changed my laptop’s desktop background to blue and might even get a blue colored lamp shade for my night time work illumination.

The study is detailed in the February issue of the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General.