Welcome to the Research Design Connections blog, started in 2007. Recent blog entries are available here. Earlier blog entries (one for every working day since the beginning of May, 2007) are available to subscribers.
To comment on a blog entry, please send an e-mail message to sallyaugustin_at_researchdesignconnections.com.
RSS blog feed
Zu and associates assessed links between the topography of an area and interpersonal trust there. They share that “To determine whether physical topography also impacts generalized trust, we conducted an exploratory study to investigate the relationship between mountainousness and individual's generalized trust . . . in China. . . . analysis revealed positive associations between the standard deviation of elevation and generalized trust. . . . analyses confirmed mountainousness indicators as significant predictors of generalized trust. . . . Our results revealed that individuals residing in China's mountainous areas are more prone to trust others.”
Liang Zu, Shaoran Zeng, Zehua Jiang, Zaoyi Sun, Hongting Li, and Liuchang Xu. 2023. “From Peaks to People: The Association Between Physical Topography and Generalized Trust in China.” Journal of Environmental Psychology, vol. 91, 102136, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2023.102136
Liu and colleagues evaluated the implications of scenting office spaces. They studied the “effects of ambient bergamot scent on the stress levels of office workers by exposing them to the scent while stressors persisted as the workers continued to work on the office tasks. . . . The change in heart rate variability revealed that bergamot scent increased stress among males but not for females. The reported pleasantness and comfort followed the same trend. Compared to the control groups, females in the scent group thought the office smelled pleasant and felt more comfortable, but males in the scent group reported the opposite. . . . compared to the control groups, both males and females exposed to the bergamot scent self-reported decreasing stress levels.” Other research has shown that “males consider androstenone (musky or urine), isoamyl acetate (fruity), and mercaptans (foul) scents to be more pleasant than do females, whereas females rate eugenol (spicy) and rose (floral) scents to be more pleasant than do males.” Bergamot is a citrus fruit.
Ruying Liu, Mohamad Awada, Burcin Gerber, Gale Lucas, and Shawn Roll. “Gender Moderates the Effects of Ambient Bergamot Scent on Stress Restoration in Offices.” Journal of Environmental Psychology, in press, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2023.102135
In an open access article, Rashidfarokhi and colleagues probed how design can promote human resilience. They determined that design can influence individual and community resilience: “The built environment, for example, can strengthen an individual’s capacities by supporting their physical health, reducing stress and increasing positive stimuli to manage crises better. In the community context, the built environment can help to strengthen connections and create a sense of community/place. . . . Land use, density and scale, the relative position of the neighbourhood and green areas affect both the wellbeing of individuals and the community’s resilience. . . . Social resilience is enhanced by the availability of walkable areas and public transport networks. . . . walkable, mixed-use neighbourhoods can encourage the development of social capital and place attachment through an increase in interactions. . . . Indoor air quality, as well as thermal, acoustic and visual comfort should be ensured as these affect the physical (e.g. various air-borne illnesses) and mental health (e.g. stress levels) of people inside the buildings.”
Anahita Rashidfarokhi and Vitalija Danivska. 2023. “Managing Crises ‘Together’: How Can the Built Environment Contribute to Social Resilience?” Building Research and Information, vol. 51, no. 7, pp. 747-763, https://doi.org/10.1080/09613218.2023.2191922
Zillow shares information on links between front door colors and home sales. During the reported study actual and potential home buyers answered survey questions: “Homes with a front door painted slate blue — a chalky light blue-gray color – received the top overall scores. Actual and prospective buyers were more likely to want to purchase the home and, on average, would be willing to offer an estimated $1,537 more. . . . A black front door was associated with the highest offer price, with buyers saying they would be willing to pay, on average, $6,449 more for a home with this high-contrast front door. . . . Some study participants described homes with a pale pink front door as ‘kind of shabby looking’ and would be willing to pay, on average, $6,516 less than expected. Cement gray front doors received the lowest overall score. This color fell flat with the lowest purchase intention, and on average, actual and prospective buyers would offer $1,236 less for a home with such a door.”
“Is Your Front Door Black? Your Home Could Sell for $6,000 More.” 2022. Press release, Zillow Research, https://www.zillowgroup.com/news/best-front-door-color-2022/
Donaldson and others probed the factors linked to the popular PERMA framework at an organizational level: positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishments. They share that “empirical evidence suggests that positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishments (PERMA) may be a robust framework for the measurement, management and development of wellbeing. . . . recent meta-analyses and systematic literature reviews showed that . . . physical work environments . . . could be seen as essential contextually relevant building blocks for work-related wellbeing and are therefore prime candidates to expand the PERMA framework. . . . The [physical] work environment is therefore seen as a complex psychophysical system which is a function of both the objective physical stimuli at work (e.g., building design, air quality, and natural lighting) but also elements subjectively experienced by employees (e.g., perceptions of physical safety or connectedness to others. . . . When there is considerable effort required to focus due to environmental distractions (such as noise, heating or poor ventilation) cognitive resources are depleted thus increasing stress and strain.”
Stewart Donaldson, Llewellyn van Zyl, and Scott Donaldson. 2022. “PERMA+4: A Framework for Work-Related Wellbeing, Performance and Positive Organizational Psychology 2.0.” Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 12, https://doi.org/10.3389/fp-syg.2021.817244
Chalmin-Pui and colleagues evaluated the implications of gardening in a front yard. Their work “explores why people garden in front gardens, how social cohesion may emerge from front gardening activities, and the health benefits of the presence of front gardens for residents and passersby. Front gardens played a key role in supporting participants’ personal identity and self-expression. Maintaining a front garden was seen as making a positive and satisfying contribution to their local area and to others’ pleasure. Social cohesion in the street or neighborhood occurred through informal verbal communication and knowledge-sharing.”
Lauriane Chalmin-Pui, Alistair Griffiths, Jenny Roe, and Ross Cameron. 2023. “Gardens with Kerb Appeal – A Framework to Understand the Relationship Between Britain in Bloom Gardeners and Their Front Gardens.” Leisure Studies, vol. 45, no. 8, pp. 787-807, https://doi.org/10.1080/01490400.2021.1897715
Bailey, Anderson, and Cox wanted to learn more about the psychological implications of walking. Their work “explores the mechanisms of active and passive leisure influence through real-time tracking of mental states while incurring a standard ‘dose’ of social media and walking. Results indicate that social media induces anxiety and mental focus, while walking enhances relaxation and meditative state. Geographic information systems (GIS) reveal that natural elements along various urban walking routes are associated with higher inward attention, and that unimpeded greenways may be more mentally restorative than built environments.”
Andrew Bailey, Madison Anderson and Garner Cox. 2023. “Influence of Activity and Space on Psychological Well-Being.” Leisure Sciences, vol. 45, no. 8, pp. 724-742, https://doi.org/10.1080/01490400.2021.1889421
Research continues on neighborhood walkability. Koohsari, Oka, Nakaya, and McCormack (study published in the Journal of Urban Health) conducted an extensive research project: “‘Our analyses revealed that street integration influenced walking undertaken as a means of transport. Importantly, it was the availability of destinations that strengthened this relationship. As far as leisure walking was concerned, there was no significant relationship between the distance covered and the degree of street integration,’ says Dr. Koohsari. These findings are interesting as they expand on previous insights into street connectivity and walking by relying on objective measurements of destinations and different types of walking behavior. . . . Dr. Koohsari . . . concludes, ‘Implementing the results of such analyses has two main benefits. First, designing well-connected street layouts that provide easy access to retail stores, educational institutions, and recreational facilities will encourage walking to these destinations. Second, strategically placing destinations along integrated street layouts can lead to more activity-friendly urban environments.’"
“Street Layout and Available Destinations Influence Urban Walking Behavior.” 2023. Press release, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, https://www.jaist.ac.jp/english/whatsnew/press/2023/09/01-1.html
Sepanta, O’Brien, and Arpan studied the implications of space use changes made during the pandemic. They gathered data from people “who started teleworking and moved at least 20 kilometres away from their original homes within two years of the beginning of COVID-19. . . . The results of this study suggest most participants moved to bigger houses with dedicated offices in less accessible neighbourhoods, which prompted more vehicle purchases. . . . The interviews indicated that the overall energy use of participants has increased as a result of these changes.”
Farzam Sepanta, William O’Brien, and Laura Arpan. “Interview Study to Uncover the Energy Use Impacts and Behaviours of Teleworkers Who Relocated During COVID-19 in Canada.” Architectural Science Review, in press, https://doi.org/10.1080/00038628.2023.2253780