Enhance Experience

Views and Experiences (06-30-21)

Elzeyadi probed  preferences for workplace views and the wellbeing-related consequences of particular views.  He reports that “Results suggest that the current classification of views into two types: views of nature versus urban views is misleading and does not realistically represent the typical content of the views.  Instead, a scaled dimension and metric to evaluate views based on their composition and content of their attributes is more accurate. . .

Natural Symmetry (06-28-21)

Damiano and colleagues studied the psychological implications of symmetry in natural scenes. They report that “Symmetry generally makes stimuli less complex, and symmetric arrangements are also generally preferred to asymmetric ones. . . . We collected ratings of complexity, aesthetic pleasure, and interest for 720 scene images and calculated average ratings for each image. . . . as symmetry increases and makes a scene less complex, it also renders the scene less pleasing and interesting. . . .

Urban Greenspace, Happiness Links (06-24-21)

Researchers have tied citizen happiness to urban greenspace.  Kwon and colleagues report that “By measuring the urban green space score (UGS) from high-resolution satellite imagery of 90 global cities covering 179,168 km2 and 230 million people in 60 developed countries, we find that the amount of urban green space and GDP are correlated with a nation’s happiness level. More specifically, urban green space and GDP are each individually associated with happiness. Yet, only urban green space is related to happiness in the 30 wealthiest countries. . . .

Nostalgia Effects (06-23-21)

Xia and colleagues link feeling nostalgic and the purchase of new products.  The research team reports that their “research investigates the motivational effect of nostalgia induced by aversive and threatening situations (e.g., COVID-19) on new product purchase intentions. . . .  perceived COVID severity induces feelings of nostalgia and that heightened nostalgia boosts purchase intentions for new products. We replicate the effect with nostalgia triggered by a different threat (i.e., social unrest). . . .

Early vs. Late Experiences (06-22-21)

New research indicates how to manage early and late stages of experiences via design or other means when both can not be supported equally. A team lead by Keren has determined that “early experiences may have a larger effect on our mood than more recent events. . . . People routinely report on their moods during everyday activities and when they interact with clinicians providing mental health care. It is commonly believed that the most recent experiences during a task or interaction with someone else may have the strongest effect on how an individual feels at a given time.

More Nature Benefits (06-14-21)

Recently published research confirms the value of spending time in nature.  Castelo lead a team that determined via lab and field studies that “exposure to nature increases a sense of self-transcendence and prosocial behavior.  Self-transcendence involves feeling deeply connected to something greater than oneself, including past and future generations.  Prosocial behaviors include donating money to charity and prioritizing others above the self. . . .  Spending time in nature has many psychological benefits for people, including stress reduction and improved mood.”

The Value of Soundscapes (06-10-21)

Talebzadeh’s recent research indicates the important role that soundscapes play in our lives.  His work focused on “how a personalized soundscape can help those with dementia by providing clues regarding time of day and place. . . . Using a system called AcustiCare, a personalized soundscape is created with a customized algorithm that plays scheduled sounds at specific moments throughout the day. Through feedback, the system can refine the sounds to be played the next day, helping to reinforce time and space for dementia patients.

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