Color preferences in adolescence and early adulthood and their relationship with emotional intelligence

Statement of the problem. The article examines the problem of studying an emotional sphere of a personality, in particular, emotional intelligence, in modern socio-cultural conditions, due to the change in human relations with the real and virtual world and the need for special efforts aimed at developing an emotional sphere of an individual. The importance of age-relevant emotional intelligence development is highlighted. The purpose of the article is to identify the age specificity of color preferences and their connection with some personality traits presented in the parameters of emotional intelligence in adolescence and early adulthood. The research methodology consists of the works of Russian and international authors in relation to color, which forms the space of a person's life, has a multi-level effect on his/her emotional sphere and contributes to its enrichment; analysis and synthesis of provisions on the relationship between color perception and emotions. Research results. The study made it possible to establish that adolescence and early adulthood are characterized by preference for different colors, and the preferred colors are interrelated with different aspects of emotional intelligence, reflecting the age-specific emotional and personal characteristics. These data, on the one hand, can help in understanding the specifics of the emotional sphere of adolescents and young people, and on the other hand, they create prerequisites for the development of normative criteria for diagnosing color preferences as markers of emotional states at a certain age. Conclusion. The results of the study contribute to the development of ideas about the relationship of color preferences with emotional intelligence in adolescence and early adulthood. Its main provisions can be applied by practical psychologists to use color as a tool for diagnosing and correcting emotional states and emotional intelligence, as well as to regulate emotional states through color environment.