Does thermal control improve visual satisfaction? Interactions between occupants' self-perceived control, visual, thermal, and overall satisfaction.

Sabine Lechner,Marcel Schweiker,Cornelia Moosmann,Andreas Wagner

doi:10.1111/ina.12851

Abstract

Occupants' satisfaction had been researched independently related to thermal and visual stimuli for many decades showing among others the influence of self-perceived control. Few studies revealed interactions between thermal and visual stimuli affecting occupant satisfaction. In addition, studies including interactions between thermal and visual stimuli are lacking different control scenarios. This study focused on the effects of thermal and visual factors, their interaction, seasonal influences, and the degree of self-perceived control on overall, thermal, and visual satisfaction. A repeated-measures laboratory study with 61 participants running over two years and a total of 986 participant sessions was conducted. Mixed model analyses with overall satisfaction as outcome variable revealed that thermal satisfaction and visual satisfaction are the most important predictors for overall satisfaction with the indoor environment. Self-perceived thermal control served as moderator between thermal satisfaction and overall satisfaction. Season had slight influence on overall satisfaction. Random effects explained the highest amount of variance, indicating that intra- and interindividual differences in the ratings of satisfaction are more prevalent than study condition. Future building design and operation plans aiming at a high level of occupant satisfaction should consider personal control opportunities and take into account the moderating effect of control opportunities in multimodal interactions.

Highlights

Human beings are continuously exposed to multiple indoor environmental exposures from different domains at the same time
Mixed model analyses with overall satisfaction as outcome variable revealed that thermal satisfaction and visual satisfaction are the most important predictors for overall satisfaction with the indoor environment
The overall evaluation of perceptions from different domains leads to a level of overall satisfaction with indoor environmental conditions

Summary

Introduction

Human beings are continuously exposed to multiple indoor environmental exposures from different domains at the same time. These domains include thermal and visual stimuli leading to a perception of thermal or visual comfort. Occupants’ satisfaction had been researched independently related to thermal and visual stimuli for many decades.3–6 In contrast, multidomain studies, for example, considering thermal and visual aspects and their interaction, are scarce.[7,8] Following the definition by Torresin et al, these multidomain approaches can be distinguished into crossed (main) effects and combined effects. Crossed effects are analyzing a main effect from one domain, for example, thermal stimuli, on another domain, for example, visual perception. Related to thermal and visual conditions, inconsistent results related to the existence or direction of an interaction exist and depend on lighting conditions (illuminance level, intensity, and spectrum) and outcome measure (thermal sensation vs. thermal comfort).[8]

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