Effects of indoor lighting conditions on subjective preferences of task lighting and room aesthetics in an Indian tertiary educational institution

Abstract

Indoor lighting conditions influence the psychology of pupils in academic institutions and it is expedient to investigate how subjective experiences are modulated by differences in lighting conditions. This study was conducted in a tertiary educational institute in West Bengal, India with twenty-four student participants, divided into three groups of eight each, to assess how the appraisals of task lighting and room aesthetics varied under three ambient lighting conditions. Spread across nine sessions of 1 h each, the groups performed pre-defined tasks and recorded their responses upon copies of a formulated questionnaire at the conclusion of each session. Moreover, blood pressure and heart rate measurements of the participants were made at an interval of 20 min. Statistical analysis with Kruskal-Wallis and Friedman tests implied that there were significant differences among the lighting conditions with respect to several dependent variables of task lighting and room aesthetics appraisal. Artificial lighting was deemed to be uniform, pleasant for task performance, and comfortable for book reading. Daylighting with the concomitant window view was construed as brighter, glaring, dramatic, more contrasting, and less uniform. A combination of natural and artificial lighting was bright, mildly contrasting, dramatic, softer in luminosity, and comfortable. Withal, daylighting with the concomitant window view appeared to regulate participants’ blood pressure and heart rate. Thus, this study implies that the balance and holistic synergy between artificial and natural light can create an enlivening and salubrious indoor environment, and building service professionals should conscientiously harness the same for upgrading current practices in indoor lighting.