Why Are Prisons Painted Barbie Pink in Some Countries?

Many effects of colors on humans have been frequently researched by the scientific community before. In fact, today almost every brand its unique color And there are certain emotions it evokes. The biggest example of this today is that red symbolizes love and passion; of blue, calmness and peace We can give it by association.

Of course, it may vary from person to person, but in general this The effect of colors on humans This is the feeling it evokes for many people. So, what do pink and prisons have in common? Do you think this color started to be used in wards?

Between the 1960s and 70s, researcher Alexander Schauss decided to investigate the psychological and physiological effects of pink on humans.

in the late 1970s which he named P-618. Schauss, who claimed to have found a shade of pink, said that this color was different compared to other colors. lowering heart rate, pulse and respiration claimed that it had a significant effect. Of course, this was just a claim and he also had to perform an experiment to strengthen his theory.

To test his theory, Schauss became the Chief Warden of the Naval Prison in Seattle, USA. Gene Baker and Captain Ron Miller convinced. (Even the name of Baker-Miller pink comes from these two men.)

The results of the research conducted on March 1, 1979 are quite surprising.

half of the prisoners on pink cardboard, The other half is dark on blue cardboard They were asked to look. Exactly one minute later, Schauss asked the inmates who were looking at the pink cardboard to raise their arms in front of their bodies, then applied pressure to their arms and asked them to lower them back to their sides.

Schauss asked the same thing to happen to the prisoners who looked at the dark blue cardboard, and then asked the male prisoners to to monitor their behavior It had started. And yes, just like Schauss’s theory, pink really did work.

Immediately after this experiment, among the prisoners in the prison no hostile behavior whatsoever. not exhibited. According to the results of the experiment, to calm the prisoners Just 15 minutes They need to be exposed to Baker-Miller color.

This color has 2 different names: one is drunk pink and the other is Schauss pink. We understand Schauss, but what about drunks?

used as slang in English “drunk tank” The term means a detention center where people who drink alcohol and disrupt the peace of society are kept. Small county jails, disturbing the peace of society they were sending drunk people to the pink holding cell; As a result, the slang term “drunk tank” has emerged among the public day by day.

Officials who saw that the pink color worked were almost on a rampage. starting the pink craze They, too, were painting their surroundings Baker-Miller pink. For example, in Texas, in 2006, prisoners who committed repeated crimes were transferred to pink cells and wore pink prisoner uniforms.

In fact, this issue has become so big among prisons that some prisons are literally turning their wards into children’s rooms. even a teddy bear in the room They were putting it. Mike Rackley, the sheriff in the Dallas region of Missouri, made a statement on this issue:

“Basically, if they’re going to act like a child and commit a childish act then We will create a childish atmosphere. Plus it’s a calming thing, teddy bears are soothing. That’s why here like a nursery “We did, it’s kind of a nursery for adults who can’t control their behavior in public.”

So what does current research say about this issue?

By 2014 from Ghent University Swiss psychologist Oliver Genschow claimed exactly the opposite of Schauss’s research. In the research he and his team conducted, they randomly selected 59 inmates who had violated prison rules, half of whom were placed in pink cells and the other half were placed in pink cells. gray/white cells sent.

After 3 days of observation, the prisoners in the pink cell Less aggressive behavior was observed. Even though it contradicts today’s times, Genschow and his team predicted that “the color pink may go against the perception of masculinity and cause feelings of humiliation.”

However, it should not be forgotten that this experiment may also include cultural differences. For example In many countries where the color pink evokes femininity While this experiment did not yield any results, the result may be different in countries that evoke different things. Today, there is still no definitive judgment on this issue, and you can even try this experiment at home when you are most angry.

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