憂鬱疾患的頻率在年輕世代中持續增加，且疾病的初發年齡逐漸下降。在台灣，大學生將近四分之一具有憂鬱傾向且需要專業協助，各學院中以藝術設計學院學生憂鬱情緒最為嚴重。

本研究以設計系學生為研究對象，並以色彩為線索探討憂鬱對於色彩知覺及創作用色的影響。首先，以憂鬱傾向對產品認知的影響為前測，分別從「造形」與「色彩」兩項重要的設計元素，探討憂鬱情緒對產品造形及產品配色的影響。前測結果發現無論有無憂鬱傾向的設計系學生在產品造形的認知上並無太大影響，但是當設計系學生情緒較不穩定時，其產品配色的選擇亦會跟著變動。在確認了憂鬱情緒會影響設計系學生的產品配色結果後，本研究藉由色彩喜好實驗、色彩聯想實驗、「自我形象」拼貼創作及「不同的自我」拼貼創作來探討憂鬱傾向對色彩知覺及創作用色之影響。

研究發現憂鬱傾向影響了設計系學生對色彩的喜好及聯想。若要以色彩喜好作為有無憂鬱傾向的判別，則YR、P及dkGy三色將為重要的判別變數。憂鬱傾向者在色彩具體聯想上，大致上與無憂鬱傾向者相似。但在面對dkGy的抽象聯想時，憂鬱傾向者出現較多的負面情緒用語，如「絶望」、「恐懼」、及「憂鬱」等。另外，在拼貼創作的分析上，從233幅「自我形象」拼貼創作中發現：憂鬱傾向者臉部以dkGy呈現的機率較無憂鬱傾向者高。而在120幅「不同的自我」拼貼創作中發現：憂鬱傾向者喜歡用暗色來表現憂鬱的自己。

研究結果顯示憂鬱傾向確實會對於色彩知覺及創作產生影響。由於許多人常受到憂鬱情緒的困擾而影響生活，但不知自身已罹病進而無法立即就醫。本研究提供色彩作為發現憂鬱傾向的線索，而作品的色彩分析結果，將可提供教育者及治療師作為參考。

The instances of depressive disorders have rapidly increased among the younger generation. In Taiwan, one-fourth of all university students have depression and need professional assistance. Among the various majors, students in art design colleges are the most depressed.

This study uses design students as research participants, and uses color as a cue to explore the influence of depressive tendency on color perception and creation. First, a pilot study was conducted to find the influence of the depressive tendency on product cognition. Experiments focusing on form and color were conducted to explore the influence of design students’ depressive tendency on product form and product color matching. The results indicated that the design students with or without the depressive tendency do not show great differences in perceiving product form; however, when design students are emotionally unstable, their product color selections change. After verifying that depression can affect the product color-matching results of design students, this study used the color preference experiment, the color association experiment, the “self-portrait” mosaic creation and the “different self” mosaic creation to explore the influence of the depressive tendency on color perception and creation.

The study found that the depressive tendency influences the color preferences and associations of design students. If color preference is a determinant for whether the depressive tendency exists, YR, P, and dkGy are important discriminant variables. In making associations of the 14 Munsell colors with concrete objects, participants with the depressive tendency are generally similar to those without the depressive tendency. However, when associating dkGy with abstract concepts, depressive tendency participants show more negative emotional words, such as “hopelessness”, “fear”, and “depression”. Furthermore, results of the 233 “self-portrait” mosaics show that for those with the depressive tendency, dkGy is more likely to appear than for those without the depressive tendency; results of the 120 “different self” mosaics suggest that those with the depressive tendency significantly prefer to use dark colors to represent the depressed self.

Research results show that the depressive tendency does affect color perception and creation. For many people, their lives are affected by depression, but they do not seek medical treatment because they do not know they are ill. This study used color as clues to discovering the depressive tendency producing results that can be effectively utilized by educators and therapists.

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