Can Colors Impair Performance?

Research reported by the University of Rochester last week indicates that test takers seeing even a glimpse of the color red perform significanctly worse on standardized tests than those who don't see red.

Four experiments demonstrated that the brief perception of red prior to an important test—such as an IQ test or a major exam—actually impaired performance. Two further experiments also established the link between red and avoidance motivation when task choice and psychophysiological measures were applied.

Useful information for those of us who will likely be in school for the rest of our lives (I'm never going to run out of things I want to understand better).