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How We Search (04-22-13)
April 2013

Researchers at University of California Berkeley learned that when we’re searching for something, parts of our brains can be used in unexpected ways.  They found that when “we embark on a targeted search, various visual and non-visual regions of the brain mobilize to track down a person, animal or thing. That means that if we’re looking for a youngster lost in a crowd, the brain areas usually dedicated to recognizing other objects such as animals, or even the areas governing abstract thought, shift their focus and join the search party. Thus, the brain rapidly switches into a highly focused child-finder, and redirects resources it uses for other mental tasks. ‘Our results show that our brains are much more dynamic than previously thought, rapidly reallocating resources based on behavioral demands, and optimizing our performance by increasing the precision with which we can perform relevant tasks,’ said Tolga Cukur, a postdoctoral researcher in neuroscience at UC Berkeley and lead author of the study.”  The data collected put another nail in the coffin of multitasking: “The findings help explain why we find it difficult to concentrate on more than one task at a time.”

“Lost Your Keys?  Your Cat?  The Brain Can Rapidly Mobilize a Search Party.”  2013.  Press release, University of California Berkeley, http://www.newscenter.berkeley.edu.

ADHD at Work (04-19-13)
April 2013

Halbesleben, Wheeler, and Shanine investigated the workplace performance of people with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).  Halbesleben and his team report that, conservatively, 4.4% of adult Americans have ADHD, so design that optimizes the performance of this population segment is desirable.  Halbesleben, Wheeler, and Shanine’s research, based in attention control theory, leads them to conclusions consistent with those of “Kitchen (2006) [who] proposed accommodations [modifications for people with ADHD] such as time management tools (e.g., to-do lists) and more quiet and organized work areas to help employees with ADHD focus on important tasks. Human resource managers might recommend that office workers reduce the number of computer applications on an employee with ADHD’s computer, as more applications, especially non–work-related applications, might exacerbate the employee’s ADHD tendencies . . . . recent findings suggest that pursuing management strategies that go too far to force self-control may yield higher strain and absenteeism (Diestel & Schmidt, 2012), so care must be taken in how such interventions are implemented.” The stigma sometimes attached to ADHD can make implementing ADHD specific work areas difficult, but providing a range of workspaces at a site enables individuals to work in spaces in which they anticipate they will be successful.

Jonathon Halbesleben, Anthony Wheeler, and Kristen Shanine.  2013.  “The Moderating Role of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in the Work Engagement-Performance Process.”  Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, vol. 18, no. 2, pp. 132-143.

Value of Community Gardens (04-18-13)
April 2013

New research provides further support for including gardens in urban plans.  Researchers from Utah found that “People who participate in community gardening have a significantly lower body mass index—as well as lower odds of being overweight or obese—than do their non-gardening neighbors . . . . ‘It has been shown previously that community gardens can provide a variety of social and nutritional benefits to neighborhoods,’ says Cathleen Zick, lead author of the study and professor of family and consumer studies at the University of Utah. ‘But until now, we did not have data to show a measurable health benefit for those who use the gardens’ . . . . women community gardeners had an average BMI 1.84 lower than their neighbors, which translates to an 11 pound weight difference for a woman 5 feet 5 inches tall. For men, the BMI was lower by 2.36 for gardeners—a difference of 16 pounds for a man 5 feet 10 inches tall—compared to the neighborhood cohort. Gardeners were also less likely to be overweight or obese; 46 percent less for women gardeners, and 62 percent less for men gardeners."

“Community Gardens May Produce More Than Vegetables.”  2013.  Press release, University of Utah, http://unews.utah.edu.

Urban Design and Socializing (04-17-13)
April 2013

Steven Farber and others from the University of Utah investigated how city design influences socializing.  Using data from the 42 largest cities in the United States they found that “Long commute times and urban areas that leapfrog over open space make it harder for people to socialize, but cities that are decentralized are even worse . . . ‘We found that decentralization has 10 times the negative impact of fragmentation, and 20 times that of longer commute times,’ says Steven Farber, assistant professor of geography at the university. ‘For planners and policy makers concerned about making our cities more vibrant, it is clear that intensifying development has the most positive effect on social interaction. These data suggest that ideas like converting parking lots to condos, or reducing the size of roads to accommodate cafes that spill out onto the sidewalks, can have social benefits that outweigh the cost of increased traffic,’ he notes. Social interaction – and understanding the factors that enable or diminish it – is important for individual, economic and social well-being.”

“Strong Urban Cores Promote Socializing in the City.”  2013.  Press release, University of Utah, http://unews.utah.edu.

Elevators and Control (04-16-13)
April 2013

Rousi’s research with people riding in elevators confirms the psychological value humans place on controlling their own experiences.  She interviewed people using elevators and found that “statistical analysis of . . .  quantitative data showed a positive correlation between perceived safety and security, and the interior control panel design. This may mean that users feel safer when they perceive their own level of control to be greater.”  For additional information on the value of control, use the search options to find articles such as https://researchdesignconnections.com/content/desirable-office-lighting-....

Rebekah Rousi.  2013.  “An Uplifting Experience – Adopting Ethnography to Study Elevator User Experience.”  Ethnography Matters, http://ethnographymatters.net.

Surveys and Technology (04-15-13)
April 2013

De Bruijne and Wijnant investigated differences in data collected from people answering questions on a survey using mobile devices and from people using computers to answer the same questions.  Designers regularly gather information from users with both tools.  The researchers report that  “With the growing popularity of smartphones and tablet PCs (tablets) equipped with mobile browsers, the possibilities to administer surveys via mobile devices have expanded. To investigate the possible mode effect on answer behavior, results are compared between a mobile device–assisted web survey and a computer-assisted web survey . . . .  Special attention is given to the design of the mobile web questionnaire, taking small screen size, and typical functionalities for touchscreens into account. The findings suggest that survey completion on mobile devices need not lead to different results than on computers, but one should be prepared for a lower response rate and longer survey completion time.”

Marika de Bruijne and Arnaud Wijnant.  “Comparing Survey Results Obtained Via Mobile Devices and Computers:  An Experiment with a Mobile Web Survey on a Heterogeneous Group of Mobile Devices Versus a Computer-Assisted Web Survey.” Social Science Computer Review, in press.

Virtual vs. In-Person Negotiations (04-12-13)
April 2013

Research presented at the annual conference of the British Psychological Society identifies a major issue people should consider when deciding whether to negotiate in person or virtually.  Designers can not only use this information to determine “where” they will meet themselves, but also when programming offices for clients.  Michael Taylor and his research associates learned that  “If you are negotiating with someone who has more power than you it is a good idea to avoid face-to-face meetings.” After comparing the performance of people negotiating face-to-face and in a “sophisticated 3D virtual simulation,” Taylor concludes that “’It looks as though it is a good idea for less powerful parties to negotiate from remote locations rather than face-to-face. When people negotiate from further apart, it affects their whole way of thinking. This can mean the contextual details of the negotiations, such as power hierarchies, have less impact on the outcome. This has implications for team negotiation and shared decision-making in the workplace.’” 

“Face-to-Face Negotiations Favour the Powerful.”  2013.  Press release, British Psychological Society, http://www.alphagalileo.org/ViewItem.aspx?ItemId=130082&CultureCode=en

New Research on Rosemary Supports Existing Findings (04-11-13)
April 2013

Research presented at the 2013 meeting of the British Psychological Society is consistent with previous studies of the psychological implications of smelling this scent (https://researchdesignconnections.com/pub/rosemary-enhances-ability-remember-remember-6-26-07).  This year, McCready and Moss reported that smelling rosemary “may enhance the ability to remember events  [that will occur in the future] and to remember to complete tasks at particular times in the future.”  Moss states that “’We wanted to build on our previous research that indicated rosemary aroma improved long-term memory and mental arithmetic.’”

“Rosemary Aroma May Help You Remember to Do Things.”  2013.  Press release, British Psychological Society, http://www.alphagalileo.org/ViewItem.aspx?ItemId=130076&CultureCode=en

Riding the Subway (04-10-13)
April 2013

Berkovich and his colleagues studied the behavior of people riding trains in a subway system and their findings should inform the work of people designing transportation and public spaces.  The team learned that “customers have a clear preference for seats adjacent to doors, no real preference for seats adjacent to support stanchions, and disdain for bench spots between two other seats . . . 90% seat utilization is only achieved at 120% load factor [in other words, the trains are technically overloaded before some seats are taken]; furthermore, standing customers strongly prefer to crowd vestibule areas between doors (particularly in cars with symmetric door arrangements), and hold onto vertical poles.”

Aaron Berkovich, Alex Lu, Brian Levine, and All Reddy.  2013. ”Observed Customer Seating and Standing Behaviors and Seat Preferences Onboard Subway Cars in New York City.”  TRB Manuscript #13-1639, http://docs.trb.org/prp/13-1693.pdf.

Smelling: Who Would Have Guessed? (04-09-13)
April 2013

Research reported at the meeting of the American Chemical Society provides further evidence that our sensory apparatus may not always operate in the obvious ways.  Schieberle and his research team found that “heart, blood, lung and other cells in the body have the same receptors for sensing odors that exist in the nose . . . . ‘Our team recently discovered that blood cells — not only cells in the nose — have odorant receptors,’ said Schieberle. ‘In the nose, these so-called receptors sense substances called odorants and translate them into an aroma that we interpret as pleasing or not pleasing in the brain. But surprisingly, there is growing evidence that also the heart, the lungs and many other non-olfactory organs have these receptors. And once a food is eaten, its components move from the stomach into the bloodstream. But does this mean that, for instance, the heart ‘smells’ the steak you just ate? We don’t know the answer to that question.’”

“Do Cells in the Blood, Heart and Lungs Smell the Food We Eat?”  2013.  Press release, American Chemical Society, http://portal.acs.org.