Follow Behavioral Norms

Batra and his colleagues investigated the relationship between tasting spicy food or seeing spicy food and how aggressive people are. 

Visual complexity is an important driver of experience.  Both too much and too little are bad for our mood and cognitive performance.  Neuroscience research reveals how to manage visual complexity, disorder, and clutter.
 

Want people to obey the rules, do the right thing, keep out of mischief and just generally, behave in socially acceptable ways?  Environmental neuroscientists have done a lot of research on how design can encourage space and object users to be on their best behavior—insights from their studies can be applied in practice.
 

Tidying shifts shopper behavior

Keeping sound in check improves behavior

How is what we see related to how ethically we behave?

Poon and his teammates have determined that nature images can be used to combat aggression; their findings can be applied in a range of spaces where aggressive activities might be anticipated.

Not all views produce the same effects

Seeing eyes alters thoughts and behaviors

Communicating with each other and spending time together defines us as a sociable species, distinct from the myriad others that surround us.  Design can make it more likely that we socialize in ways that increase our mental and physical wellbeing.