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If you're having trouble focusing on a finicky task at work, you might consider changing the background colour on your computer screen instead of downing yet another cup of coffee.

The colour red can boost the brain's attention to detail, according to new research from the University of British Columbia's Sauder School of Business published yesterday in the journal Science.

Blue, on the other hand, is the colour to choose when creativity is a priority, says Juliet Zhu, an assistant professor of marketing, who led the study.

The findings are based on six studies Dr. Zhu and colleague Ravi Mehta conducted on about 600 undergraduate students at UBC. The studies included standard psychological tests involving memory. They also asked students to create new products or imagine new uses for everyday objects.

On memory tasks, those presented with a red background colour on their computer screens were able to recall a list of items more accurately. Those using a blue background recalled a similar number of items, but made many more mistakes. "They are engaged in the same amount of effort, but they are more exploratory in their thinking style, less literal," Dr. Zhu says.

One test offered study subjects a page of 20 potential toy parts illustrated in either red or blue on a sheet of paper and asked them to choose five parts to design a toy that was creative and age-appropriate.

A panel of judges found that those using red parts produced designs that were more age-appropriate, but less creative. Those using blue parts came up with more creative toys, but they were less age-appropriate.

These seemingly innate effects of blue and red are learned associations, Dr. Zhu suggests, adding that they probably vary across cultures. In North America, we associate red with ambulances, stop signs, emergencies and blood.

"All of these things signal danger and mistakes," Dr. Zhu says. "If you're trying to avoid something, you're likely to be more vigilant and careful, so you're more mindful when you do the task that requires attention to detail."

The colour blue makes us think of expansive skies and open oceans, which may explain the link to creative, unencumbered thinking. "These things are open, free and peaceful," Dr. Zhu says.

As obvious as these associations sound, most of us are unaware of their effects on our thinking. One of Dr. Zhu's studies found that when asked about what colour people think will help them with creativity or with focusing on details, they chose blue in both cases - 66 per cent and 74 per cent, respectively.

"They always think blue will help them do better regardless of the task. The reality is, it only helps when the task is creative in nature. When you have cause for attention to detail you should go with red."

The research could have numerous applications in the fields of marketing and advertising, from the choice of colours used in product design and ads to the paint colours of rooms used for brainstorming sessions.

Another colour researcher, Markus Maier of Stony Brook University in New York, says Dr. Zhu's work expands on similar studies he's been doing on the colour red. One of his recent studies found that when a person who's about to write an exam sees a flash of red, his performance on the test is inhibited.

But Dr. Maier says his findings are not inconsistent with Dr. Zhu's because the effects of red are different depending on the motivation of the individual and the complexity of the task at hand. The more complex a task, the more a flash of danger might derail us by using up valuable brain space.

"If you do a simple task, you can really focus," says the assistant professor of psychology. "The colour red is not negative per se. It depends on the task you have to perform."