Does Baker-Miller pink reduce aggression in prison detention cells? A critical empirical examination

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Many prisons across Western countries recently began to paint detention cells in Baker-Miller pink to calm down aggressive inmates. This recent development is based on early findings of more than 30 years ago suggesting that Baker-Miller pink reduces physical strength and thus aggressive behavior. In the present study we question the applied methods of the original studies and run a highly standardized and controlled experiment to test the influence of Baker-Miller pink on aggressive behavior. The results do not replicate the original findings and thus challenge the recent adoption in many prisons. Implications and limitations of the experiment are discussed.

Original languageEnglish
JournalPsychology, Crime and Law
Volume21
Issue number5
Pages (from-to)482-489
Number of pages8
ISSN1068-316X
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 28.05.2015
Externally publishedYes

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