Schema-ing with color and temperature: The effects of color-temperature congruity and the role of non-temperature associations

The present investigation utilizes schema congruity theory to predict when consumers use or do not use color-temperature associations to make downstream judgments of products. The results of five studies reveal that consumers use red-heat (blue-cold) color-temperature associations when the triggered red (blue) schema has no active non-temperature associations during product selection. In these cases, color-temperature congruity (red-heat and blue-cold) leads to more positive responses than color-temperature incongruity (red-cold and blue-heat). Additionally, the findings indicate that consumers do not use color-temperature associations when the situation activates both temperature and non-temperature associations for the red or blue schema (red-sales promotions or blue-trade dress). In these instances, consumers negate the influence of color-temperature associations in favor of non-temperature associations. This indicates that color-temperature congruency or incongruency does not affect downstream consumer responses because of a shift in the salience of schematic associations that weakens the influence of color-temperature associations.