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Sawada and Nomura evaluated links between feeling awed and being curious. They “examined the influence of three emotion conditions (nature-awe, amusement, and neutral emotional state) on curiosity, regarding seven topics (nature, art, food, history, living things, science, and sports). The results showed that the induction of nature-awe specifically increased curiosity about nature. . . . we [also] examined the influence of two awe conditions (nature-awe and art-awe) on curiosity on five topics (nature, art, history, living things, and science). The results not only replicated the results of Experiment 1 but also showed that the induction of art-awe specifically increased curiosity about art and history.”
K. Sawada and M. Nomura. “Awe Increases Stimulus-Specific Curiosity.” Journal of Cognitive Psychology, in press, https://doi.org/10.1080/20445911.2024.2356289
Brossoit and colleagues studied the effects of the macro-environment on professional performance. They report that they “examine[d] associations among the built and natural environment at work and home, experiences of time spent outside (i.e., amount of time outside, enjoyment of time outside, outdoor activities), and motivational work outcomes (i.e., job engagement and creativity). . . . individuals who work and live in areas with greater natural amenities (i.e., access to water, topographic variation, temperate climates) spend more time outside and enjoy time outside to a greater degree, and these experiences are in turn associated with greater engagement and creativity at work. We did not find evidence that the surrounding built environment (i.e., urbanity) at work or home was associated with outdoor experiences or work-related outcomes. Additionally, six categories of outdoor activities were identified in the qualitative analyses – leisure activities, relaxation, physical activities, social interactions, tasks and errands, and travel.”
Rebecca Brossoit, Tori Crain, Jordyn Leslie, Gewenith Fisher, and Aaron Eakman. 2024. “Engaging with Nature and Work: Associations Among the Built and Natural Environment, Experiences Outside, and Job Engagement and Creativity.” Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 14, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1268962
Meagher and colleagues probed bonds people form to their homes. They learned that among their study participants “home attachment was predicted positively by descriptions of the home’s restorative properties and negatively by . . . a lack of adequate space. . . . restorative emotional experiences . . . and an adequate amount of physical space were all uniquely predictive of home attachment. . . . there appears to be a close relationship between the psychological experience of emotional restoration within the home and a feeling of attachment to it. . . . More than any other location in most people’s lives, people can adapt [their home] to help regulate desired emotions and behaviors . . . facilitating positive affect, rest, relaxation, and comfort.”
Benjamin Meagher, Sara Kraus, Aliana Alvarez-Gomez, Kathleen Donague, Tyler Kennedy, Collin Kline, Kendahl Miller, Erin Moran, and MacKenna Shampine. “Predicting Home Attachment Through Its Psychological Costs and Benefits: Restoration, Space, and Social Relationships.” Journal of Environmental Psychology, in press, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2024.102404
Kwon and colleagues evaluated the effects of mental state on color combination preferences. They found that “individuals who have experienced social exclusion (isolation) display a heightened preference for analogous color combinations, as opposed to complementary ones, compared to those who have not experienced social exclusion. Our research posits that this preference arises from the feeling of conflict induced by social exclusion, leading individuals to choose products and environments with analogous colors as a coping mechanism to alleviate this feeling of conflict. . . . Our research also indicates that utilizing analogous color combinations in both product and interior design can substantially enhance the appeal for socially excluded individuals.”
Analogous and complementary color combinations are discussed in this article and this one.
Mijin Kwon, Eunmi Jeon, and Youngjee Han. 2024. “The Social Side of Color: How Social Exclusion Influences Preferences for Color Combination.” Psychology and Marketing, vol. 41, no. 7, pp. 1649-1667, https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.22002
Users’ interest in having unique experiences is relevant when design options are presented; research by Chopik and associates indicates that need for uniqueness may be declining. The researchers found that “Recent research and polling suggest that people may be more reluctant to express themselves and stand out than in previous years. . . . We examined changes in need for uniqueness among 1,339,160 Internet respondents . . . from 2000 and 2020. Across the 20-year period, participants who completed the survey more recently reported a lower need for uniqueness, particularly in terms of not wanting to defend their beliefs in public forums and caring more about what others think about them.”
William Chopik, Kim Gotschi, Alejandro Carrillo, Rebekka Weidmann, and Jeff Potter. 2024. “Changes in Need for Uniqueness from 2000 to 2020.” Collabra: Psychology, vol. 10, no. 1, 121937, https://doi.org/10.1525/collabra.121937
Myers and Rollings investigated the consequences of living in a university dormitory in which bedrooms do not have windows (Munger Graduate Residences at the University of Michigan). After collecting data from people living in Munger and at other locations, the researchers reported that Munger provides “residential units containing shared living spaces for six or seven residents who each receive their own private bedroom and bathroom. Of the building’s 631 bedrooms, 87% do not have windows. . . . When compared to non-Munger residents, Munger residents reported significantly lower MWB [mental wellbeing], attentional function . . . and social connectedness. . . . 75.9% of Munger . . . residents reported that windowless bedrooms negatively affected MWB. . . . According to residents, Munger’s generous shared amenities and naturally lit common areas did not compensate for perceived negative MWB effects of windowless private bedrooms, inadequate indoor environmental quality, inability to control lighting, temperature, and ventilation, and high-density living with randomly-assigned roommates. . . . . Munger residence hall offers graduate students relatively affordable housing and generous shared amenities (e.g., convenience market, theater, game room, gym, rooftop running track and patio, study spaces, and activity programming).”
Hannah Myers and Kimberly Rollings. “Perceived Effects of Residential Design on Mental Well-Being: A Quasi-Experimental Study of the University of Michigan’s Munger Graduate Residences.” Journal of Environmental Psychology, in press, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2024.102408
Latreille, Houle, and Coulombe’s work indicates that young people (age 14 to 20) need to have access to private spaces, their own territories. The researchers interviewed people 14-20 living in public housing: “Many of the participants in our study mentioned the positive or negative influence . . . of having or not having their own room. Studies have shown how important a private room can be for young people in terms of residential satisfaction . . . their self-esteem . . . their ability to cope with school stress . . . and achieving their personal goals. . . . Our study [confirms the] negative impact of overcrowding, a phenomenon known to adversely affect young people's academic performance . . . [it] prevents young people from concentrating on their school projects due to a lack of privacy. . . . social housing that does not allow access to a personal space (one’s own room) could hinder the positive development of young people (e.g., identity development).”
Jeremie Latreille, Janie Houle, and Simon Coulombe. “The Influence of the Residential Environment on Well-Being and Personal Projects: Perspectives of Young People Living in Public Housing.” Journal of Environmental Psychology, in press, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2024.102407
Rotmeier-Keuper and Wunde studied the transitions of older individuals into communal care settings (which the researchers call “elderscapes”). They learned via interviews with elderly care consumers, and family and professional caregivers that “The transition to the elderscape often compels elderly consumers to strive to preserve their identities. . . . interviews uncovered a strong need among some participants not only to decorate but also to actively design and shape their living environments, mirroring aspects of their previous lives, such as home ownership. . . . This desire to reclaim space often leads elderly care consumers to attempt to modify their living areas, be that painting the walls or moving furniture. However, our interviews revealed that such alterations, particularly those affecting the physical infrastructure, encounter opposition from care home management. . . . the shared rooms and outdoor spaces of the care home are mostly designed according to market and professional care logic: they are efficient to maintain and designated to fulfill functional caregiving requirements.” Elders can also attempt to personalize or modify shared spaces.
Julia Rotmeier-Keuper and Nancy Wunderlich. 2024. “Who Am I Here? Care Consumers’ Identity Processes and Family Caregiver Interventions in the Elderscape.” Journal of Consumer Research, ucae045, https://doi.org/10.1093/jcr/ucae045
Research completed by Clemente and colleagues confirms human preferences for moderate visual complexity. Studying responses to various art forms, such as dance and film the researchers found that when “participants rated liking and perceived complexity for each stimulus. . . . liking for audiovisual stimuli can be explained by a weighted sum of liking for their auditory and visual components. . . . Audiovisual preferences exhibit inverted-U-shaped relationships with auditory and visual complexity.” So, preference is highest at moderate levels of complexity.
Ana Clemente, Frances Board, Marcus Pearce, and Guido Orgs. “Dynamic Complexity in Audiovisual Aesthetics.” Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity and the Arts, in press, https://doi.org/10.1037/aca0000685