Any Designed Environment

Daylight Variation (03-02-21)

Finnish researchers studied how seasonal sunlight variations influence mood.  Their findings, published in The Journal of Neuroscience,are useful in a variety of contexts, for example, for better understanding research data collected.  The investigators report that “the length of daylight affects the opioid receptors, which in turn regulates the mood we experience. Seasons have an impact on our emotions and social life. Negative emotions are more subdued in the summer, whereas seasonal affective disorder rates peak during the darker winter months.

Robot Appearance: Implications (03-01-21)

Research has shown that how human-like a robot appears to be influences how we think about what those robots do.  Researchers lead by Laakasuo determined that when “study participants read short narratives where either a robot, a somewhat humanoid robot known as iRobot, a robot with a strong humanoid appearance called iClooney or a human being encounters a moral problem along the lines of the trolley dilemma, making a specific decision. The participants were also shown images of these agents, after which they assessed the morality of their decisions. . . .

VR Is More Than OK

Scientists have, at this point, conducted many studies in virtual environments.  They have determined that data collected in these spaces are consistent with those gathered in actual, physical places.  If your resources permit virtual reality research, you can proceed with confidence if environments developed accurately recreate the real world.

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