architecture psychology

Koohsari and colleagues studied how worker perceptions of workplace layouts influence how active they are during the day.  The investigators had study participants report their physical activity during the workday and provide details on the design of their workplace.  The Koohsari team interprets their findings by sharing that "There may be a disincentive to move around the office in shared and open-plan offices because of the disruption to work or the potential to be judged.  It may be possible that seeing others (shared and open-plan offices) sitting acts as a cue also to sit more (social

Song and Sela have determined via six experiments that people make different choices when using a smartphone than when selecting from options using another tool.  The research duo reports that “compared with using a personal computer (PC), making choices using a personal smartphone leads consumers to prefer more unique options.

Grant and colleagues investigated falls in care homes by elderly (mean age 81 +/- 12 years old) residents.  They report that some test locations “had solid-state lighting installed throughout the facility that changed in intensity and spectrum to increase short-wavelength (blue light) exposure during the day (6 am–6 pm) and decrease it overnight (6 pm–6 am). The control sites retained standard lighting with no change in intensity or spectrum throughout the day. The number of falls aggregated from medical records were assessed over an approximately 24-month interval. . .

Monroy and Keltner’s work confirms the value of feeling awed; people can be awed in various ways, including, for example, via viewing extraordinary workmanship or materials.  The research duo reports that “we first review recent advances in the scientific study of awe. . . . Awe engages five processes—shifts in neurophysiology, a diminished focus on the self, increased prosocial relationality, greater social integration, and a heightened sense of meaning—that benefit well-being.

Shank and teammates probed listener responses to music after attributing its composition to either artificial intelligence or a human.  The researchers report that “participants listened to excerpts of electronic and classical music and rated how much they liked the excerpts. . . . Participants . . . liked music less that they thought was composed by an AI.” These results can likely be applied more broadly.

Chen and colleagues investigated how experiencing psychological ownership influences performance; it is likely that their findings are relevant more broadly.  The researchers determined that “Job-based psychological ownership arises when workers develop personal feelings of possession over various aspects of a job. . . . job-based psychological ownership prompts employees to engage in territorial marking, defending, and expanding.

Francesconi and colleagues studied links between environmental conditions and child development.  They found that “neighbourhood disorder was associated with emotional symptoms and conduct problems at age 3 and with the trajectory of cognitive ability from ages 3 to 11. . . . Neighbourhood disorder is broadly taken to refer to observed or perceived physical and social features of neighbourhoods that may signal the breakdown of order and social control, and that can undermine the quality of life. In our study, it was assessed by . . .

Wigert and teammates probed core elements of the creative process.  They report that “The process of problem construction is known to be a critical influence on creative problem-solving. The current study assessed the utility of different problem construction methods used to maximize creativity during the creative process. An experimental design was used to explore the interplay between convergent and divergent thinking processes.

Research by Schaap and colleagues confirms that not all judgments are as objective as we might like to believe.  The investigators reported that they “empirically assess how the evaluation of music fragments – electronic dance music (EDM) in particular – is affected by the perceived attractiveness of a DJ, in relation to their gender. . . . We find a strong positive relationship between artists’ perceived attractiveness and how ‘their’ music is evaluated. While this is true regardless of DJ gender, attractiveness benefits male artists slightly more than female artists.”

Ramezi and colleagues studied how design and brand image are related.  They determined that “Social capital is one of the requirements of quality and good urban living. Social capital will lead to trust and security of participation and social solidarity of spatial belonging and shared values. In urban neighborhoods, various factors can lead to the production and promotion of social capital. . . . The research results show that social capital in neighborhoods is directly related to the brand of those neighborhoods.