Emotional responses from olive oil colour

Abstract

20 BTB colour standards have been prepared and shown to two groups of observers: 20 people belonging to countries with certain “culture” in olive oil, and 20 people coining from countries without tradition in olive oil. The observer task was to associate the colour of each standard with each of the previously mentioned emotions. The observers’ answers were analysed by following the Torgerson Law of Categorical Judgement Results show that the emotional responses to olive oil colour in the group of people coming from non- tradition olive oil countries is remarkably less complex than for the group coming from tradition olive oil countries. Subjects from the first group show high correlations between certain emotions (“Like-Dislike”, “Fresh-Rancid”, “Natural- Artificial” and “Healthy-Unhealthy”). On the other hand, the observers coming from tradition olive oil countries do not show these correlations or they are remarkably lower.