By Ash Zhang
This specific shade of pink is made by mixing one pint of outdoor semigloss red trim paint and one gallon of pure white indoor latex paint (Schauss, 1981) with a HEX code of #FF91AF and named after the two US Navy officers who first tested the effects of it on a Naval correctional facility. It claims to reduce aggression, violent behaviour, strength, lower blood pressure and pulse rates, even being suggested to be relaxing for calming anxious students and to improve attention span. These have been disproved many times by other research studies and suggested that they only calm down participants for a limited amount of time, usually 15 minutes, or not at all.
The man who began it all was Alexander G. Schauss, who initially became interested in the effect of colour on humans at the University of New Mexico. Inspired by Max Luscher, creator of the Luscher colour test, he proceeded to carry out several tests on colour overall and came to the belief that colours and their preferences inform many things regarding someone’s personality. To him, this led to a hypothesis of colour affecting the biochemical functioning of the human body, such as hormonal levels and other physical and emotional effects. He eventually tested on himself this specific shade of pink had an effect that lowered heart rate post-strenuous exercise and dubbed it P-618. He then proposed to Commander Miller and CWO gene baker to paint one of the admission cells and began a study that would continue for 156 days. He discovered that 15 minutes was the optimum time to reduce aggressive behaviour and would last 30 minutes upon removal of the cell. The pink created a curious effect on appetite suppression as well and was far more effective in a smaller area cell which Schauss attributed less of a diffusion effect with too many others competing with pink. This research led to many studies being conducted in other places, in psychiatric wards, mental health centres, and youth detention centres. The results of his investigations were eventually leaked to the media, receiving many others who attempted to use this colour and reported similar results.
Schauss’ scepticism led him to conduct a series of carefully controlled laboratory experiments with Robert J Pelegrini, professor of psychology and Dean of research at San Jose University. Experiments involving undergrad students using scientific equipment such as Lafayette dynamometers, double-armed goniometers and cable tensiometers to measure grip strengths discovered that grip strength for those who stared at blue cards was significantly stronger than the pink cards. Schauss believed the opposite colour of pink was not blue, but a specific shade of green to prevent experimenter bias. Many other studies and informal observations took place after these discoveries, having opened a new lens through which to discover the effect of specific bandwidths of wavelength regarding the effects on physiology.
Despite this, Baker-Miller Pink is now no longer considered this groundbreaking research with near-mystical effects. A lot of the supporting research that validates the effects of Baker-Miller Pink is often criticised for having inadequate research design, confounding variables, lack of specificity and questionable data recording practices. Many other researchers have also found fault with the overemphasis of men within much of the research along with the previously existing social interpretation of pink as a symbol of femininity. This, along with later research with conflicting results regarding the efficacy of the colour have overall removed any credibility the original research gained. Just some of these include Gilliam and Unruh (1988), Pellegrini et al. (1981) and Schwartz et al. (1983). Specifically, Gilliam (1991) conducted experiments on the psychological and cognitive behaviour of emotionally disturbed and regular education students, using white and Baker-miller Pink’s effect on blood pressure, pulse writes, grip strength and performance of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence scale- revised. The only variable affected was diastolic blood pressure and only observed in one of the groups of emotionally disturbed students and is more reliably attributed simply to exposure time instead.
There are still references to this shade of pink scattered around certain places. Amusingly, the visitor’s locker room in Iowa’s Kinnick stadium is entirely plastered in this specific shade initially as an attempt to dissuade football teams through emasculation and now remains a school tradition. The nickname “drunk tank pink” originates from holding cells for disorderly drunks painted with BakerMiller pink. Joe Arpaio, a sheriff in Maricopa County, Arizona had inmates wear pink boxers. Another Sheriff, Clint Low, placed inmates in pink uniforms. Nowadays, it seems that this shade of pink remains a humorous reference, tending to be noted for its effect on humiliation and emasculation instead of men.
By all accounts, despite the initial promising research that supported the effects of Baker-Miller pink (it makes me want to punch a wall, personally), these days it remains a bit of trivia and a piece of cultural interest. Besides the initial wave of personal reports through informal testing through the news leaks and supporting research conducted mostly by Schuss and several other psychologists. The claims of psychological and physiological effects of reduction of strength, aggression and heart rate are hard found to be supported elsewhere. There is simply too much well-designed opposing research scrutinising the nonexistent effects and not enough well-conducted support to justify the supposed profound effects as the research fades more into obscurity.