Latest Blog Posts

Research by Huang and colleagues indicates serious negative effects of hearing traffic noise, which supports adding soundproofing materials to walls.  The team shares that “Road traffic noise was estimated at baseline residential address using the common noise assessment method model. Incident hypertension was ascertained through linkage with medical records. . . . Long-term exposure to road traffic noise was associated with increased incidence of primary hypertension, and the effect estimates were stronger in presence of higher air pollution.”  Data were collected over a median of more than 8 years.

Jing Huang, Teng Yang, John Gulliver, Anna Hansell, Mohammad Mamouei, Yutong Cai, and Kazem Rahimi.  “Road Traffic Noise and Incidence of Primary Hypertension: A Prospective Analysis in UK Biobank.” JAAC: Advances, in press, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacadv.2023.100262

Bredmose and colleagues studied how design can support the movement of blind and visually impaired people (BVIP) through a space.  They report that “tactile elements were assessed as being very important. . . . the visible contrast elements were assessed rather high with regard to orientation in the urban environment. . . . Even though other senses such as hearing and touch can take over in terms of informing about the surroundings when visual information is missing, perception from these senses is much slower and requires increased cognitive power as it demands a high level of concentration. . . . BVIPs not hearing the traffic, are more dependent on tactile delineation between shared space and safe space. . . . BVIPs with cognitive disabilities have an even greater need for tactile elements as both their sensory and cognitive abilities are reduced. All this variation in human ability suggests a design approach that acknowledge diversity and meet the different user needs.”

Annette Bredmose, Sidse Grangaard, Victoria Lygum, and Anders Hansen.  2023. “Mapping the Importance of Specific Physical Elements in Urban Space for Blind and Visually Impaired People.”  Journal of Urban Design, vol. 28, no. 2, pp 139-154, https://doi.org/10.1080/13574809.2022.2097862

Hyvonen and colleagues studied the relationship between spending time in nature and mental health.  They report that their “research investigated the effects of a nature-based treatment on participants diagnosed with depression. Participants . . . were randomized into nature-based . . . or standard care-only . . . groups. The participants in the nature-based group were offered 12 nature-based sessions once a week in addition to standard care. . . . The observed effects of the intervention on participants in the nature-based group, when compared to the participants who received standard care only, included a greater decrease in psychological distress . . .  and an increase in restorative experiences . . . as well as in the self-reported ability to work/study but only at post-measurement.”

Katriina Hyvonen, Kirsi Salonen, Jane-Veera Paakkolanvaara, Pasi Vakevainen, and Kalevi Korpela.  2023. “Effects of Nature-Based Intervention in the Treatment of Depression:  A Multi-Center, Randomized Control Trial.” Journal of Environmental Psychology, vol. 85, 101950, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2022.101950

Bengart and Vogt evaluated how the colors used to present options influence choices made.  They report that “Recent eco-labeling research suggests that labels that use traffic light colors to communicate an evaluation of product attributes are more effective in guiding consumer choices toward environmentally friendlier products than those that merely provide quantitative information. . . . We investigated the influence of labels' color scheme on consumers' preferences for environmentally friendly electricity. . . . participants chose between electricity products differing in price and carbon emissions. The products had labels that classified carbon emissions as low, medium, or high based on either traffic light colors, grayscale colors, or text. . . . traffic light labels increased the choice share of low-emission electricity relative to text-based labels but not relative to grayscale labels.”

Paul Bengart and Bodo Vogt. “Effects and Interactions of Labels’ Color Scheme and the Individual Difference Variable Lay Rationalism on Pro-Environmental Choices.”  Journal of Environmental Psychology, in press, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2023.101998

Li and Sullivan link nature experiences while young to adult experiences in designed and other environments. They determined that when “Perceived childhood nature exposure was calculated as a cumulative score based on the perceived nature in residential surroundings from up to three childhood home locations weighted by duration of residence. . . . [that] Children who had lower levels of nature exposure grow up to exhibit a high tendency to miss subtle sensory stimuli (low registration), and this sensory processing pattern in turn is associated with lower levels of affinity to nature and creativity. . . . These findings offer implications for designing child- friendly cities that facilitate sensory explorations and cognitive development.“

Dongying Li and William Sullivan. 2022. “Contact with Nature in Childhood and Sensory Characteristics in Adulthood.”  In Anjali Joseph, Lindsay McCunn, and Sharmin Kader (eds.) Health In All Design: Promoting Health, Equity, Sustainability and Resilience Through Environmental Design; Conference Proceedings 53rd Annual Conference of The Environmental Design Research Association).   Environmental Design Research Association; Washington, DC, https://www.edra.org/page/publications, p. 327.

Sharfenberger and associates evaluated the psychological implications of nearby material objects.  They determined that “being physically close to objects helps consumers to feel psychologically close to the more abstract meaning of these objects. Four experimental studies . . . indicate that being proximal to an object reduces the psychological distance to the object's meaning and enhances the benefits that consumers associate with the object. . . . material objects may . . . act as triggers for future consumption episodes. For example, wearing a festival entrance bracelet may not only allow consumers to connect to a self-defining meaning, but also fuel the desire to re-experience that meaning by visiting the festival again. . . .  experiences such as vacations or music festivals may constitute important self-relevant meanings, they are also ephemeral. Material objects that can be held or carried (e.g., souvenirs, shirts, and bracelets) allow consumers to hold onto these meanings and, in a figurative sense, carry them along with them.”

Philipp Scharfenberger, Daniel Wentzel, Luk Warlop, and Verena Riegler.  2023. “The Proximal Self:  Why Material Objects Are Particularly Relevant for Consumers’ Self-Definition.”  Psychology and Marketing, https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.21804

Living near greenspace makes it less likely that people will experience postpartum depression (PPD).  Sun and colleagues found that “A reduced risk for PPD was associated with total green space exposure based on street-view measure [500 m buffer. . .], but not NDVI [normalized difference vegetation index], land-cover greenness, or proximity to a park. Compared to other types of green space, tree coverage showed stronger protective effects. . . . Street view-based green space and tree coverage were associated with a decreased risk of PPD. The observed association was primarily due to increased tree coverage, rather than low-lying vegetation or grass.”

Yi Sun, John Molitor, Tarik Benmarhnia, Chantal Avila, Vicki Chiu, Jeff Slezak, David Sacks, JiupChiuan Chen, Darios Getahun, and Jun Wu. “Association Between Urban Green Space and Postpartum Depression, and the Role of Physical Activity:  A Retrospective Cohort Study in Southern California.”  The Lancet Regional Health-Americas, in press, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lana.2023.100462

Prade and Saraglou’s work makes it clearer how awe influences how we think and behave.  Awe can be induced by design in a variety of ways, for example, via exquisite workmanship.  The Prade and Saraglou team report that “Given that awe experiences promote collective identity and decrease self-importance, we reasoned that they should lead individuals to be more prone to cherish social conformity value and to adopt conformity behaviors. In two online experiments . . . compared to neutral and amusement emotional states, awe was found to drive individuals to value the respect of social norms in a greater extent (Experiment 1), and to lead individuals to conform to the majority opinion on an evaluative judgment task (Experiment 2).”

Claire Prade and Vassilis Saraglou.  “Awe and Social Conformity:  Awe Promotes the Endorsement of Social Norms and Conformity to the Majority Opinion.” Emotion, in press, DOI: 10.1037/emo0001225

Carbon probed people’s experience of art.  He reports that “When we attend sculptures in museums, they might fascinate us due to the mastery of the material, the inherent dynamics of body language or due to contrapposto or the sheer size of some of these statues such as Michelangelo's David. What is less convincing, however, is the life-alikeness of the face. Actually, most visitors experience dead faces, dead eyes, and static expressions. By merely adding paraphernalia to a face (e.g., a facemask or sunglasses), such unalive sculptures gain vividness and liveliness. This striking effect is demonstrated by applying a facemask and sunglasses to a sculpture on public display in Bamberg. . . . This simple method might help connect people with sculptures or artworks, in general, to lower the barrier between the beholder and artwork and increase their interaction.”

Claus-Christian Carbon. 2023. “Connecting the Beholder with the Artwork:  Thoughts on Gaining Liveliness by the Usage of Paraphernalia.”  I-Perception, vol. 14, no. 2, pp. 1-5, https://doi.org/10.1177/20416695231162010

Recently completed research indicates that experiencing higher levels of light at night may not be healthy for pregnant people.  Investigators report in a study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology Maternal Fetal Medicine that “Pregnant adults who had greater light exposure three hours prior to sleep had a higher risk of developing gestational diabetes than those who had less exposure during this period. . . . Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that occurs during pregnancy. It can cause harm to both mother and baby. Studies show that the condition is on the rise nationwide.  Recent studies show that greater exposure to light at night may cause impaired glucose regulation in non-pregnant adults. . . . Common sources of light at night include televisions, laptops, tablets, and cell phones.”

“Greater Light Exposure Prior to Sleep May Raise Risk of Gestational Diabetes.”  2023.  Press release, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/news/2023/greater-light-exposure-prior-sleep-may-raise-risk-gestational-diabetes