Final answer:
The statement that black represents sterility, old age, and sadness is false, as it does not carry universal connotations and can vary by culture.
Step-by-step explanation:
False. The color black does not universally represent sterility, old age, and sadness. As the emotional effect of color is subjective and culturally influenced, black's connotations vary widely among different societies. For instance, While black does symbolize mourning in Western cultures, it is also seen as a color of formality and sophistication, evident in the 'little black dress' or the classic black suit. Moreover, in some Eastern cultures, black can represent harmony as part of the yin and yang, opposing the negative connotations such as sadness it may have elsewhere.
In the West, black is often associated with evil, death, and mourning, but this isn't consistent throughout time or across cultures. For example, the ancient Romans associated black with ill-omens, yet in China, black was considered a neutral color chosen by emperors and indicative of prosperity and harmony in nature. Therefore, attributing a fixed set of emotional values to any color, including black, is a reflection of specific cultural attitudes rather than a universal truth.