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Emotional Reactions to Different Indoor Solutions: The Role of Age

Authors :
Mariachiara Rapuano
Maria Sarno
Francesco Ruotolo
Gennaro Ruggiero
Sabrina Iuliano
Massimiliano Masullo
Luigi Maffei
Federico Cioffi
Tina Iachini
Source :
Buildings, Vol 13, Iss 7, p 1737 (2023)
Publication Year :
2023
Publisher :
MDPI AG, 2023.

Abstract

Longer life expectancy and global population growth result in new environmental demands to meet different material and psychological needs across the lifespan. Since the physical environment is a fundamental factor in the quality of life, here we investigated which different indoor features (i.e., colors, materials/textures) have the most positive impact on individuals in terms of emotional reactions and whether these reactions could vary with age. Four groups of participants (i.e., younger adults, adults, middle-aged, elderly, age range 19–86 years) were presented with pictures of five different rooms: (1) Modern (white and cold colors with good-quality essential coverings); (2) Basic (white and blue colors; plastic and metal furniture); (3) Vivacious (red, blue, and green elements; soft-textured materials); (4) Comfort (different shades of blue and green; velvet coverings); (5) Nature (brown, orange, and green colors; wood furniture and leather coverings). Participants underwent a six-item questionnaire evaluating their positive and negative reactions to each image. The results showed a more positive evaluation of nature and vivacious rooms than all others. In turn, basic and modern rooms evoked more negative emotions than all others. Aged-related emotional reactions emerged, with the elderly appearing to be more inclined to rely on features, such as colors and covering materials, for the affective evaluation of the environment compared to adults and middle-aged adults. These preliminary results support the need for human-centered design approaches to improve well-being across the lifespan.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
20755309
Volume :
13
Issue :
7
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Buildings
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.b1a8cbf7e984a4cb44bcba575b126b2
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13071737