Visual Preferences in Urban Street Scenes

Abstract

This research examined visual environmental preferences of a sample of 46 subjects (Ss): 29 in Japan and 17 in the United States. The Ss (who were all students) were asked to evaluate videotapes and slides of urban street scenes in each country. An examination of preference scores revealed that both Japanese and U.S. Ss preferred foreign scenes to native ones. Physical properties of each scene were judged by four professionals in the United States. An examination of correlations between preferences for scenes and physical properties of those scenes revealed that for both Japanese and U.S. Ss, preference was associated independently with ratings of upkeep, prominence of nature, and absence of vehicles. Stepwise regressions revealed preference to be a function of two factors: order (order, naturalness, and upkeep) and diversity (high contrast, diversity, and few vehicles).