Abstract
People's subjective response to any thermal environment is commonly investigated by using rating scales describing the degree of thermal sensation, comfort, and acceptability. Subsequent analyses of results collected in this way rely on the assumption that specific distances between verbal anchors placed on the scale exist and that relationships between verbal anchors from different dimensions that are assessed (e.g. thermal sensation and comfort) do not change. Another inherent assumption is that such scales are independent of the context in which they are used (climate zone, season, etc.). Despite their use worldwide, there is indication that contextual differences influence the way the scales are perceived and therefore question the reliability of the scales’ interpretation. To address this issue, a large international collaborative questionnaire study was conducted in 26 countries, using 21 different languages, which led to a dataset of 8225 questionnaires. Results, analysed by means of robust statistical techniques, revealed that only a subset of the responses are in accordance with the mentioned assumptions. Significant differences appeared between groups of participants in their perception of the scales, both in relation to distances of the anchors and relationships between scales. It was also found that respondents’ interpretations of scales changed with contextual factors, such as climate, season, and language. These findings highlight the need to carefully consider context-dependent factors in interpreting and reporting results from thermal comfort studies or post-occupancy evaluations, as well as to revisit the use of rating scales and the analysis methods used in thermal comfort studies to improve their reliability.
Highlights
The first part of the widely used and often cited definition of thermal comfort states that “thermal comfort is the condition of mind that expresses satisfaction with the thermal environment and is assessed by subjective evaluation” [1]
The most prominent scale used for the assessment of thermal sensation is the ASHRAE 7-point scale, which consists of seven verbal anchors: “cold”, “cool”, “slightly cool”, “neutral”, “slightly warm”, “warm”, and “hot”
This paper reports the results of a large-scale international collaborative questionnaire study, which had as its main objectives: a) To review the validity of some of these assumptions related to scales for subjective assessments of thermal environments and; b) to investigate possible differences in the interpretation of such scales due to the context
Summary
The first part of the widely used and often cited definition of thermal comfort states that “thermal comfort is the condition of mind that expresses satisfaction with the thermal environment and is assessed by subjective evaluation” [1]. ISO 10551 [4] gives guidance on both the analysis of thermal sensation votes obtained on ordinal measurement level as well as the determination of percentage of dissatisfied from thermal sensation votes obtained from relatively small samples of respondents. These guidelines seem to be rarely applied in practice. Their findings revealed irregular widths of categories and shifts of central categories from the centre of the thermal continuum
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
