Cognitive response and how it is affected by changes in temperature

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study focused on ambient temperature and investigated how it affects architectural liking. In total, 180 volunteers participated in the study. Participants travelled in a virtual reality environment at three different temperatures (15°C, 22°C, 30°C). All other physical interior features (such as moisture, sound, and odour) were eliminated for the study; the main objective was to test the effect of ambient temperature on the architectural liking An EEG device was used to determine the cognitive activities of the participants during space navigation. In addition, an eye-tracking device was used in virtual reality goggles to identify the areas that participants were looking at. It was determined that the architectural preferences of the people changed depending on the temperature of the space. It is thought that this finding will inspire different disciplines dealing with architectural design and thermal comfort. This is the first study to investigate how the architectural spaces are perceived by people and whether this depends on the ambient temperature. The findings also show that each cognitive process differs in varying degrees relative to subjective thermal sensations; therefore, it may be suggested that each thermal sensation should be proposed for each cognitive process and ‘indoor temperature changed people’s cognitive perception’.