Red alert

NEXT time you’re in a pressure situation – a job interview or exam, for example – check your surroundings carefully. Is the interviewer wearing a red tie? Are you using a red pen? If so, you should be on red alert: psychologists have discovered that exposure to red can intimidate you into a bad performance (see “The psychology of colour: Why winners wear red”). It’s not clear whether being aware of this banishes red’s ill effects, but why not turn it to your advantage? If you’re facing a showdown, wear something red. It might give you the edge.