The influence of traditional Chinese color schemes on visual attractiveness: The mediating role of emotional responses

Abstract

This paper explores the hypothesis that Traditional Chinese Color Schemes (TCCS) increase perceived visual attractiveness in modern visual communication and explores the mediation of this relationship by emotional responses. A quantitative cross-sectional design was chosen, and data were gathered using a WeChat mini-program where 360 participants rated standardized visual stimuli with five-point Likert scales. The hypothesized associations between TCCS, emotional reactions, and visual attractiveness were assessed through partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) with bootstrapping methods. The results indicate that TCCS has a strong positive influence on visual attractiveness, both directly and indirectly, in favor of a partial mediation model. More precisely, these culturally based palette systems contribute to attractiveness not only by eliciting positive affective resonance but also by reinforcing direct evaluative judgment of perceived harmony, cultural congruence, and semantic meaning. This implies that an emotional response contributes to an important portion of the relationship, and a significant direct impact is present. This study takes the color psychology and visual communication studies a step further by conceptualizing TCCS as a perceptual scheme level construction and not a set of individual hues in isolation, in a culturally grounded design context. In practice, the findings suggest that designers, cultural-creative practitioners, and heritage communication teams need to go beyond the mere formal aesthetics and evaluate the palette systems on their capacity to convey cultural authenticity, elicit emotionally meaningful audience reaction, and bridge the gap between traditional heritage and modern design practice.