Why pink? What colour psychology says (and doesn't)

September 29, 2026

Koa Pattern Phone Case with pink koala faces

Koa is pink. The mugs are pink. The timer is pink. So it's only fair to ask: why pink? Does a colour really change how calm, focused or happy we feel while studying? Let's look at what colour psychology can actually back up, and where the internet gets a little carried away.

The famous "calming pink" experiment

In 1979, researcher Alexander Schauss persuaded the directors of a naval correctional facility in Seattle to paint confinement cells a bright bubblegum shade. He named it after the two directors, Baker and Miller, and Baker-Miller pink was born (the original mix was white latex paint with red trim paint). Early reports said people in the pink cells calmed down, and the colour became known as "drunk tank pink".

Here's the part that goes viral less often: the follow-ups were mixed. A later study from Ghent University led by Oliver Genschow compared prisoners in pink and standard cells and found that aggression went down over three days in both, with no difference based on room colour. So pink walls are probably not a magic off-switch for stress.

What colour research can (carefully) say

Colour psychology is a real research field, but many of the confident claims you see online ("pink boosts memory!") aren't backed by solid studies. Effects in the lab tend to be small, depend heavily on context, and often don't replicate. What colour does reliably do is carry meaning: we learn associations from culture, from brands, from our own memories. And those associations can change how a space feels to us.

That's the honest version: pink won't make you smarter. But if a colour makes your desk feel cosy and inviting, you may be more likely to sit down and start. And starting is half the battle.

Pink wasn't always "for girls"

Those associations are also younger than you might think. A June 1918 article in the trade magazine Earnshaw's Infants' Department said the "generally accepted rule" was pink for boys and blue for girls. Historian Jo Paoletti, who researches children's clothing, has shown that the pink-for-girls rule only settled into place over the 20th century. Colours mean what we collectively decide they mean, and we've decided pink means Koa.

How to use pink at your study spot

Use it as an accent, not a wall. A mug, a phone case or a notebook in pink adds warmth without turning the room into a candy shop.
Tie it to a ritual. Same pink mug, same playlist, same 25-minute timer: your brain learns "this means focus time".
Keep your phone cute but out of reach. A happy case is nice; a phone in another room is nicer for your focus.

Speaking of rituals: the free Pinkoa study timer runs Pomodoro sessions with Koa studying right next to you.

Shade of the day: Bubblegum #FFC1CC

Bubblegum (#FFC1CC) is a soft, sweet pink with a real backstory: when Walter Diemer created the first successful bubble gum at the Fleer company in 1928, pink was reportedly the only food colouring he had on hand, and gum has been pink ever since. It pairs beautifully with turquoise, lilac and mint. Try it as a highlighter colour for definitions in your notes, a tab colour in your planner, or with a mint top for a fresh outfit.