Museum of Science and Industry

For anyone raised on Disney films, it should come as a no-brainer that aggressive and abrasive villains dress in black. A University of Florida study recently found something similar: NHL hockey teams were penalized more often when wearing black jerseys. The very same teams earned fewer penalties when in games where they wore white jerseys instead.

The study is cautious to point out that while this more aggressive behavior is supported by their data, the cause of this difference is unclear. Do the players themselves become more aggressive when wearing black? Do referees subconsciously feel that the teams in black jerseys are more malevolent? Is there a difference in play style between road games and home games, which usually involves a change in jersey color? This is also a study conducted within one culture, so it could be more a result of our social upbringing than any biological underpinnings.

So if your favorite team wears black and gets penalties called more often, of course it's not their fault! Their jerseys must be the real villains.

Study Finds Bad Guys Wear Black in Hockey, Too [Wired]

Images: Wikimedia Commons, DragoArt.com