Architecture and Spatial Culture
Much to productively ponder
Much to productively ponder
Spielmann and Rossi’s work confirms human’s bias toward larger options. As they report “Through four studies, including a field study, we examine the associative semantic schema deduced from wider (versus narrower) glassware rim and how the ‘bigger is better’ bias influences consumer purchase behavior (i.e., choice, consumption, purchase intentions, and willingness to pay). The findings show that consumers are more likely to value beverages when the glass rim is wider. . . .
Spence continues to add to the body of research linking tastes experienced and information gathered using other sensory channels; it is likely that these associations can also inform responses that can be anticipated to additional sensory experiences. Spence reports that “people intuitively match roundness with sweetness, while picking angular forms to represent the other four basic tastes. . . . Roundness is also associated with and tends to accentuate, creaminess. . . . sourness and spiciness are both associated with angularity. . . .
Erica Hepper and many teammates studied the implications of feeling nostalgic; aspects of the environment can trigger nostalgia. The team reports that “Nostalgia is a social, self-relevant, and bittersweet (although mostly positive) emotion that arises when reflecting on fond past memories. . . . This study . . . examined dispositional nostalgia, self-reported triggers of nostalgia, and functions of experimentally induced nostalgia in young adults across 28 countries and a special administrative region of China (i.e., Hong Kong).
Keating and team studied the effects of virtual work on what are known as “negative work behavior” (NWB). They report that “Negative work behavior (NWB) occurs with concerning frequency in virtual work environments. Despite their prevalence and a substantial, multidisciplinary research literature on virtual negative behaviors in general, we lack clear answers regarding if, how, and why conditions differentiating virtual (i.e., computer-mediated) from face-to-face (F2F) work impact perpetrators’, victims’, and bystanders’ involvement in NWB. . . .
Yuan, Du, and Jiang studied the psychological effects of being awed; awe can be inspired by multiple factors in the physical world, including exquisite workmanship, use of exceptional materials, and large size, for example. The Yuan-lead team report that “in this research, we aimed to clarify how and when awe contributes to meaning in life. In six studies . . . We consistently found a positive indirect effect of awe on meaning in life via authentic-self pursuit . . . which arised beyond happiness and self-smallness . . . and also held for awe brought on by a threatening experience. .
Saeed, Cook, Mackie, and Hayward evaluated change blindness in virtual settings. As they report “In the real world, we often fail to notice changes in our environment. In some cases, such as not noticing a car moving into our lane, the results can be catastrophic. . . . Across two studies . . . participants engaged in an online video chat with a confederate, with two levels of visual clutter (none, a lot) and three levels of interaction (none, light conversations about weather/TV, deeper conversations about goals/greatest regrets).
Ding, Liu, and Xu probe sensory associations to gender. They report that “the present research empirically documents the association between gender and taste. . . . Across four studies, we demonstrate that feminine and sweet are cognitively associated (Study 1), and accordingly, products launched by a feminine brand are perceived to be sweeter than those launched by a masculine brand (Study 2). Furthermore, a feminine (vs. masculine) brand leads to a higher preference for its sweet (vs. unsweet) products. . . .
Kent reviews the intriguing concept of “mental gravity.” As Kent reports “The theory of mental gravity posits that phenomenological, cognitive, and affective [emotional] states of an embodied self are structured according to the experience of physical gravity (i.e., internal gravity model). The theory draws a behavioral analogy between external (physical), internal (mental), and relational (socio-emotional) environments to argue that physical gravity serves as a mental template to express socio-emotional aspects of the self-world relationship. . . .
The languages that we speak affect how we experience the world around us, physical and virtual, as well as our expectations about designed spaces and objects. Applying language-related neuroscience research can improve lives.