A new paper on the relationship between color diversity and numerical cognition led by IFoHS researcher Qi Li and colleagues has been published as a brief report in Psychonomic Bulletin and Review.

This study examined how color diversity affects numerosity estimation and counting. The experimental results showed that higher color diversity led to a tendency to overestimate quantities, regardless of the spatial arrangement of the colors. On the other hand, counting efficiency improved when identical colors were grouped together, while it decreased with random arrangements.

These findings have practical applications in areas such as inventory management, personnel tracking during disasters, and consumer behavior. For example, colorful products may appear more numerous than monochromatic ones, potentially influencing purchasing decisions. Additionally, grouping items of the same color can enhance counting efficiency. The insights from this study could also contribute to fields like education and data visualization.

The full article is open access and freely available here.

Reference:
Li, Q., Ting, G., Kikuno, Y., & Yokosawa, K. (2025). The influence of increasing color variety on numerosity estimation and counting. Psychonomic Bulletin and Review. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13423-024-02625-x