INDIVIDUAL ATTRIBUTES RELATE WITH PREFERENCES OF LIVING ROOM APPEARANCE

Abstract

This study intends to determine the relation between individual attributes and preferences of living room appearance in the context of preference-individual attribute relationship studies. The experiment in which the impressions of a series of 40 living room images were rated on 17 semantic differential scales including their preferences and 11 monopolar scales. A questionnaire, which consisted of 174 two- to four-point scales, was also completed after the images were rated to determine the participant's lifestyle and their attitude. The experiment comprised 99 subjects who were young female students aged between 18 and 22 years. Results: The five sample clusters, derived from cluster analysis using the preference ratings, consisted of decorative rooms (RG1), feminine taste rooms (RG2), popular taste rooms (RG3), Japanese-style or modern style rooms (RG4), and stylish rooms (RG5). The experimental participants were divided into five groups (PG1–PG5 comprised 14, 26, 4, 21, and 34 people, respectively) depending on results of cluster analysis. The average values of each questionnaire were compared among participant groups using Tukey's HSD test to assess the attributes concerning preference tendencies. The relationships between rating differences across the room image groups and differences in scores are as follows. 1) People belonging to PG1 preferred only RG4 (Japanese-style and modern rooms), like common fashion more than PG2, and prefer weak colors and non-fancy taste more than PG4. They would be comfortable maintaining a low profile. 2) People belonging to PG2 preferred RG2 (feminine taste rooms) in addition to RG4. They spend money on fashion more than PG1, prefer warm, light, and bright colors as compared to PG5. They would have interest in fashion, and have colorful tastes. 3) People belonging to PG3 preferred only RG3 (popular taste rooms). It is difficult to interpret the difference among participant groups because the number of constituents was very small. 4) People belonging to PG4 showed much higher rating averages than did other participant groups preferred RG5 (stylish rooms), in addition to RG2 and RG4. They love communication and want to be perceived as grown-up when compared to PG2, want to be richer and like an extravagant atmosphere as compared to PG5, and they are more fascinated with individuality than are other groups. They would be extroverts, and long for their dream life. 5) People belonging to PG5 have a similar tendency to those in PG4, even though the preferences for RG1, RG2, and RG3 were lower. They are particular about room appearance and prefer structured design more than the other groups do, and do not prefer girlish designs. These consequences indicate in part the ability of room interior preferences to reflect a person's characteristics, especially as concerns their high-low profile tendencies, on the other hand, partly express design preferences for color, light, form, and so on.