Distance Preferences Research Articles

The relationship between interpersonal distance preference and estimation accuracy in autism.

People naturally seek an interpersonal distance that feels comfortable, striking a balance between not being too close or too far from others until reaching a state of equilibrium. Previous studies on interpersonal distance preferences among autistic individuals have yielded inconsistent results. Some show a preference for greater distance, while others indicate a preference for shorter distances, or reveal higher variance in preferences among autistic individuals. In a related vein, previous studies have also investigated the way autistics accurately judge distance, and these studies have received inconsistent results, with some showing superior spatial abilities and others indicating biases in distance estimations. However, the link between distance estimation and preference has never been examined. To address this gap, our study measured interpersonal distance preferences and estimations and tested the correlation between the two factors. The results indicate greater variance among autistic people in both the preference of distance and the ability to estimate distance accurately, suggesting that inconsistencies in previous studies originate from greater individual differences among autistics. Furthermore, only among autistic individuals were interpersonal distance preference and estimation bias associated in a manner that violated equilibrium. Underestimation bias (judging others as closer than they are) was linked to a preference for closer proximity, while overestimation bias (judging others as further away) was associated with a preference for maintaining a greater distance. This connection suggests that biases in the estimation of interpersonal distance contribute to extreme preferences (being too close or too far away). Taken together, the findings suggest that biases in the estimation of interpersonal distance are associated with socially inappropriate distance preferences among autistics.

Effects of the social environment on movement-integrated habitat selection

BackgroundMovement links the distribution of habitats with the social environment of animals using those habitats. Despite the links between movement, habitat selection, and socioecology, their integration remains a challenge due to lack of shared vocabulary across fields, methodological gaps, and the implicit (rather than explicit) historical development of theory in the fields of social and spatial ecology. Given these challenges can be addressed, opportunity for further study will provide insight about the links between social, spatial, and movement ecology. Here, our objective was to disentangle the roles of habitat selection and social association as drivers of movement in caribou (Rangifer tarandus).MethodsTo accomplish our objective, we modelled the relationship between collective movement and selection of foraging habitats using socially informed integrated step selection function (iSSF). Using iSSF, we modelled the effect of social processes, i.e., nearest neighbour distance and social preference, and movement behaviour on patterns of habitat selection.ResultsBy unifying social network analysis with iSSF, we identified movement-dependent social association, where individuals took shorter steps in lichen habitat and foraged in close proximity to more familiar individuals.ConclusionsOur study demonstrates that social preference is context-dependent based on habitat selection and foraging behaviour. We therefore surmise that habitat selection and social association are drivers of collective movement, such that movement is the glue between habitat selection and social association. Here, we put these concepts into practice to demonstrate that movement is the glue connecting individual habitat selection to the social environment.

Influences of social networks, demographics, and evacuation duration on evacuation decisions: Insights from Ohio and Pennsylvania

Understanding post-hazard evacuation decisions poses challenges due to the complex interplay between individual behaviors and community influences. This study investigates the evacuation decisions made by residents from three counties of Ohio and Pennsylvania, correlating their choices with various sociodemographic and behavioral factors. By analyzing diverse evacuation durations—spanning a week, two months, and a permanent period—the research identifies patterns in distance preference, influenced by attributes such as gender, race, social networks, and travel habits. Evacuation duration emerged as a significant predictor of the distance traveled, with prolonged durations leading to farther evacuations. The research highlights the importance of leveraging local social networks for effective communication during hazards and informs policy recommendations for tailored evacuation advisories and inter-state evacuation collaborations.

Spatial inequities in access to medications for treatment of opioid use disorder highlight scarcity of methadone providers under counterfactual scenarios.

Access to treatment and medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) is essential in reducing opioid use and associated behavioral risks, such as syringe sharing among persons who inject drugs (PWID). Syringe sharing among PWID carries high risk of transmission of serious infections such as hepatitis C and HIV. MOUD resources, such as methadone provider clinics, however, are often unavailable to PWID due to barriers like long travel distance to the nearest methadone provider and the required frequency of clinic visits. The goal of this study is to examine the uncertainty in the effects of travel distance in initiating and continuing methadone treatment and how these interact with different spatial distributions of methadone providers to impact co-injection (syringe sharing) risks. A baseline scenario of spatial access was established using the existing locations of methadone providers in a geographical area of metropolitan Chicago, Illinois, USA. Next, different counterfactual scenarios redistributed the locations of methadone providers in this geographic area according to the densities of both the general adult population and according to the PWID population per zip code. We define different reasonable methadone access assumptions as the combinations of short, medium, and long travel distance preferences combined with three urban/suburban travel distance preference. Our modeling results show that when there is a low travel distance preference for accessing methadone providers, distributing providers near areas that have the greatest need (defined by density of PWID) is best at reducing syringe sharing behaviors. However, this strategy also decreases access across suburban locales, posing even greater difficulty in regions with fewer transit options and providers. As such, without an adequate number of providers to give equitable coverage across the region, spatial distribution cannot be optimized to provide equitable access to all PWID. Our study has important implications for increasing interest in methadone as a resurgent treatment for MOUD in the United States and for guiding policy toward improving access to MOUD among PWID.

Barriers and Coping Strategies among Obese and Overweight Learners: Sequential Explanatory Study

his study aims to assess the key barriers to physical activity among overweight and obese adolescents, discovering that the most significant obstacles are a lack of time, different priorities, and a poor perception of one's body. A mixed method sequential explanatory design was used in the study which involves 50 respondents and 8 outliers in one of the public senior high schools in Cluster 1, Division of Pampanga. These findings are consistent with broader research, which shows that time constraints, low motivation, and self-consciousness pose typical challenges for those dealing with weight concerns. Interestingly, the study finds that social support from friends is the preferred coping strategy, implying a preference for emotional comfort over creative solutions. Despite exhibiting good internal problem-solving skills in planning and goal setting, there is a lack of confidence in execution. Furthermore, preferred avoidance coping mechanisms, such as daydreaming and fantasizing, indicate a preference for emotional distance and self-soothing over direct confrontation. The study underlines the value of building self-acceptance and engaging in the present moment as potential alternatives to daydreaming. It also identifies possible issues such as low self-esteem and a desire to escape reality. Notably, overweight and obese learners face different physical and psychological difficulties. The study points out the importance of peer support in coping techniques, as students rely greatly on peers for emotional support, which inspires emotions such as belonging and appreciation. Lastly, learners indicate a stronger willingness to get involved with organized activities such as sports, recognizing the potential benefits of improving physical fitness. It is recommended to further investigate the roles of peer support and sport program and how they affect obese and overweight students. Additionally, it is also recommended to explore the metal health aspects.

Flexible Estimation of Policy Preferences for Witnesses in Committee Hearings

Abstract Theoretical expectations regarding communication patterns between legislators and outside agents, such as lobbyists, agency officials, or policy experts, often depend on the relationship between legislators’ and agents’ preferences. However, legislators and nonelected outside agents evaluate the merits of policies using distinct criteria and considerations. We develop a measurement method that flexibly estimates the policy preferences for a class of outside agents—witnesses in committee hearings—separate from that of legislators’ and compute their preference distance across the two dimensions. In our application to Medicare hearings, we find that legislators in the U.S. Congress heavily condition their questioning of witnesses on preference distance, showing that legislators tend to seek policy information from like-minded experts in committee hearings. We do not find this result using a conventional measurement placing both actors on one dimension. The contrast in results lends support for the construct validity of our proposed preference measures.

Larger comfortable interpersonal distances in adults exposed to child maltreatment: The role of depressive symptoms and social anxiety.

Previous studies report a preference for larger comfortable interpersonal distance (CIPD) in individuals with child maltreatment (CM) when being approached by others. Yet, research on approaching others, as opposed to being approached, as well as on potential effects of social anxiety and depression is lacking. We investigated if CM and depressive symptoms influence CIPD and if social anxiety mediates the possible association of CM and CIPD when approaching a female stranger. One hundred ten participants with CM (CM) and 58 participants without CM (non-CM) experiences performed the stop-distance paradigm and stopped first when feeling uncomfortable (D1) and again when feeling very uncomfortable (D2). CM experiences were associated with a preference for larger CIPD, independent of depressive symptoms. All CM subtypes were associated with a larger D2. The relationship between CM and CIPD was partially mediated by social anxiety. These novel findings can help to develop interventions strengthening socially relevant skills and processes in those affected by CM, targeting alterations in social anxiety and depression.

Willingness-to-Comply Analysis of Incentive Mechanisms for Alleviating Local Congestion in Metro Waiting Areas

Effectively equilibrating passenger distribution on metro platforms and carriages is important for relieving local congestion. This paper explores the role of incentive mechanisms in encouraging passenger queuing behaviours. To quantitatively analyse passenger compliance with the policy, a questionnaire survey was conducted in Fuzhou, China. According to the preliminary analysis of the survey data, passengers have various moving distance preferences under the incentive scenarios, namely, no movement, smaller distance and greater distance. Additionally, this paper establishes a nested logit model that considers travel purposes and moving distances. The empirical results show that although monetary and point-system incentives can effectively enhance passenger compliance with transfer queue-positioning requirements, when the moving distance is very small, people pay less attention to rewards. Compared to those commuting on weekends, passengers commuting on weekdays comply with policies more strongly, and the effect of implementing incentive policies is better; however, the effect of those policies is reduced among those travelling for leisure. Meanwhile, when travelling for leisure, as the number of companions increases, people’s willingness to follow guidance on where to wait increases. According to the results, the implementation of incentive-based waiting encouragement policies during peak working days can result in good compliance.

Swimming behavior indicates stress and adaptations to exercise.

Introduction: Behaviors of swimming rodents are not uniform, exhibiting large variations, which may underlie the individual differences in swimming exercise-induced benefits. The study aimed to monitor individualized swimming behavior and evaluate its biological significance. Methods: A swimming tank which can monitor individualized rodent swimming behavior during exercise was established. A total of 45 mice were subjected to swimming training for 1 month (1h per day) and the swimming behaviors of each mouse were recorded. Results: The swimming behaviors of mice displayed considerable variations in aspects of distance, velocity, and area preference. For example, nearly one-third of mice preferred to swim in central area and most of the mice exhibited an even area distribution. Long-term exercise training improved cardiac systolic function and decreased blood pressure in mice, but hardly changed swimming behaviors. Analyses of the relationship between swimming behavior and cardiovascular adaptations to exercise training revealed that swimming behavior indicated the biological effects of swimming training. Specifically, mice which preferred swimming at the central zone or were trainable in behavior during 1-month training exhibited better outcomes in cardiac function and blood pressure post long-term exercise. Mechanistically, a centralized swimming behavior indicated a smaller stress during exercise, as evidenced by a milder activation of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Discussion: These results suggest that swimming behavior during training indicates individualized adaptations to long-term exercise, and highlight a biological significance of swimming behavior monitoring in animal studies.

Perception of interpersonal distance and social distancing before and during COVID-19 pandemic

Since COVID-19 is easily transmitted among people in close physical proximity, the focus of epidemiological policy during the COVID-19 crisis included major restrictions on interpersonal distance. However, the way in which distance restrictions affected spatial perception is unclear. In the current study, we examined interpersonal distance preferences and perceptions at three time points: pre-pandemic, early post-pandemic, and late post-pandemic. The results indicate that following the pandemic outbreak, people perceived others as farther away than they actually were, suggesting that the distance restrictions were associated with an enlargement of perceived interpersonal distance. Interestingly, however, people maintained the same distance from one another as before the outbreak, indicating no change in actual distance behavior due to the risk of infection. These findings suggest that COVID-19 was associated with a change in the way distance is perceived, while in practice, people maintain the same distance as before. In contrast, COVID-related anxiety predicted both a preference for maintaining a greater distance and a bias toward underestimating perceived distance from others. Thus, individuals who were highly fearful of COVID-19 perceived other people to be closer than they actually were and preferred to maintain a larger distance from them. The results suggest that subjective risk can lead to an increased perception of danger and a subsequent change in behavior. Taken together, even when behaviors should logically change, the decision-making process can be based on distorted perceptions. This insight may be used to predict public compliance.

Development of information system for planning personalized tourist routes

The object of research is processes of information and technological planning of tourist trips. The article analyzes the processes of information technology planning of tourist trips and develops an information system for personalized planning of tourist routes using graph theory. The paper describes in detail a new approach to the formation of optimal routes based on graph models and the analysis of personal preferences of users. The developed information system uses graph theory to represent and optimize tourist routes, taking into account various criteria such as distance, travel time, and individual user preferences. Algorithms for calculating optimal routes are designed to improve the quality of recommendations and provide a high level of personalization. The functionality of the information system for planning tourist routes is based on the use of a number of innovative approaches and technologies that make the system more efficient, accurate and attractive to users. This takes into account the need to use modern route optimization algorithms. Algorithms have been developed to optimize tourist routes based on various criteria, such as cost, time, personal preferences, and environmental aspects. The introduction of intelligent analytical tools for predicting tourist trends helps to determine the popularity of places and other factors that influence the choice of routes. For the audio support of the excursion route, an algorithm for generating multimedia information content that is relevant to an individual personalized excursion route and its duration is used. The authors formulate the requirements and analyze the functionality of the information system for personalized planning of tourist routes, since a personalized approach and the use of graph models facilitate route planning that takes into account various aspects, including user-friendliness, accuracy of recommendations, system flexibility and security. The developed information system can open up new opportunities for individual and intelligent planning of tourist routes, providing users with a unique tourist experience.

Too close for comfort? Social distance and emotion perception in remitted bipolar I disorder

Introduction: Bipolar disorder (BD) is a chronic psychiatric disorder that is associated with heightened and persistent positive emotion (Gruber, 2011; Johnson, 2005). Yet, we know little about how troubled emotion responding may translate into dynamic face-to-face interactions involving others, especially in contexts where automatic social regulation of personal distance from others is key to maintaining social boundaries. Method: Using a novel social distance paradigm adapted from a prior work (Kennedy et al., 2009), participants with a clinical history of bipolar I disorder (n = 30) and healthy controls (CTL; n = 31) provided online measurements of social distance preferences in response to positive, negative, and neutral facial images, as well as subsequent social judgment and emotion perception ratings. Results: Results suggest no group differences on social distance, social perception, or general emotion perception ratings. However, exploratory analyses suggest that the BD group rated positive images higher in happiness, but lower in amusement, compared to the CTL group. Conclusion: These findings contribute to a growing literature on socioemotional processes in BD.

Differential evolution for cleft lip and/or cleft palate patient treatment scheduling problems: a northern Thailand hospital case study

Cleft lip and/or cleft palate (CL/P) are the common birth defects that result when facial structures developing in an unborn baby do not close completely. To design for treatment schedule, some constraints including hospital eligibility constraints, capacity limitations, treatment age limitations, multi-hospital assignment, and multidisciplinary care team assignment should be determined. However, efficient treatment scheduling is difficult owing to the complicated conditions of specific treatment. This paper presents a multi-objective mathematical model of the CL/P patient treatment scheduling problem in order to minimize the makespan, travel distance, and total least preference assignment score. Since the problem is NP-hard, a solution method is developed based on differential evolution (DE) with particular encoding and decoding schemes for solving the CL/P patient treatment scheduling problem. The performance of DE is evaluated and compared the results with those obtained from the modified particle swarm optimization. The results show that DE is capable of finding high-quality solutions with fast convergence. To apply the proposed approach for a case study, the CL/P patient treatment scheduling program is formulated. The program can be a decision support system in helping the administrators to schedule the patients in order to identify a list of selected treatments, assign each operation of patients to the selected hospital, and intelligently identify the period of the selected treatments.

Pharmacy and nursing students' stigma and perceptions toward individuals with mental illness impacted through interaction with a website featuring lived experiences

AbstractIntroductionDespite its high prevalence and negative impact, mental illness is often sub‐optimally treated, in part, due to stigma among health care professionals. Future health care professionals are at the forefront of a potential solution for the provision of stigma‐free, equitable mental health care. Innovative approaches to reducing the stigma toward individuals with mental illness are needed. One approach is utilization of the SNAP the Stigma website (www.snapthestigma.com), a collection of photos and reflections by individuals with lived experiences with mental illness.ObjectiveThis study was conducted to address the question: Does interacting with the SNAP the Stigma website impact pharmacy and nursing students' perceptions and social distance preference toward an individual with mental illness?MethodsA pre‐ and post‐survey employed the Bogardus social distance scale (SDS) to assess stigma toward a vignette individual before and after website interaction. In the post‐survey, participants reflected on one or more posts from the website that impacted them. A qualitative analysis was performed to identify themes from the responses.ResultsA statistically significant reduction in total SDS scores occurred as a result of interaction with SNAP. Three themes were derived including symbolism of mental illness, increased empathy/reduced stereotyping, and lessons regarding what a health care professional can do and offer.ConclusionThese findings suggest that use of the SNAP website as a stigma‐reduction intervention could be a valuable tool for current and future health care professionals to decrease stigma toward those with mental illness and to build intentionality toward empathic and non‐discriminatory behavior in health care practice.

Assessing Depth Perception in VR and Video See-Through AR: A Comparison on Distance Judgment, Performance, and Preference.

Spatial User Interfaces along the Reality-Virtuality continuum heavily depend on accurate depth perception. However, current display technologies still exhibit shortcomings in the simulation of accurate depth cues, and these shortcomings also vary between Virtual or Augmented Reality (VR, AR: eXtended Reality (XR) for short). This article compares depth perception between VR and Video See-Through (VST) AR. We developed a digital twin of an existing office room where users had top erform five depth-dependent tasks in VR and VST AR. Thirty-two participants took part in a user study using a 1 × 4 within-subjects design. Our results reveal higher misjudgment rates in VST AR due to conflicting depth cues between virtual and physical content. Increased head movements observed in participants were interpreted as a compensatory response to these conflicting cues. Furthermore, a longer task completion time in the VST AR condition indicates a lower task performance in VST AR. Interestingly, while participants rated the VR condition as easier and contrary to the increased misjudgments and lower performance with the VST AR display, a majority still expressed a preference for the VST AR experience. We discuss and explain these findings with the high visual dominance and referential power of the physical content in the VST AR condition, leading to a higher spatial presence and plausibility.

Interpersonal distance preferences: an unexplored consequence of hearing loss

BackgroundInterpersonal distance (IPD), which reflects the physical space between people, ensures the regulation of social behavior in interaction as part of nonverbal communication. Our research aims to reveal whether there is a difference in personal distance preference between individuals with hearing loss and normal hearing (NH).MethodsThirty-five adults (26.54 ± 7.05 years) were divided into three groups according to hearing status: hearing aid (HA) users, cochlear implant (CI) users, and NH individuals. The preferred interpersonal distance scale (PIPDS) and a stop distance paradigm were employed for measurements in various environments. Personal space violations were monitored using an electrodermal activity (EDA) wristband.ResultsOur findings showed a significant relationship between preferred interpersonal distance (PID) and hearing loss duration (r = 571; p < .01) and a significant difference in PIDs between CI users and NH individuals (p = .025). There was a correlation between PIPDS results and interpersonal distance preference in two outdoor conditions where the experimenter was male. However, there was no correlation between interpersonal distance and EDA results.ConclusionsFor the CI group, PIPDS results indicated an increased interpersonal distance preference with the severity of hearing loss, possibly to enhance lip-reading cues and conceal visible hearing aids. Understanding these preferences is essential for effective communication and good interpersonal relationships among individuals with hearing loss.

CORRELATION BETWEEN CULTURAL DIMENSIONS AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON CONFLICT STYLE PREFERENCES

This paper offers a multifaceted exploration of the intricate interplay between cultural dimensions and preferences in conflict resolution styles. It delves into the profound influence of cultural values on the choices individuals make when managing conflicts, enhancing our understanding of this complex relationship. Defining culture and conflict as central constructs, the paper investigates several key cultural dimensions within Hofstede's framework. It focuses on individualism and collectivism, high and low power distance, and high and low uncertainty avoidance. Few studies cover the research on power distance and conflict style preference, underscoring the importance of understanding how individuals choose styles that align with their cultural norms, whether maintaining low or high power distance within their own cultures.&#x0D; The study uncovers the correlation between different cultural types and conflict management styles. In cases of individualism, there is a preference for an avoidance style of conflict management, while collectivist cultures typically lean towards compromising and obliging conflict styles. In situations marked by high power distance, members of high power cultures are more likely to adopt an avoidance conflict style. The research holds significance for managing intercultural conflicts across various contexts, particularly in the realms of global governance, international relations, and multicultural team management. The findings provide a valuable reference for managers striving to navigate intercultural tensions and promote effective conflict resolution strategies aligned with cultural values. While this study offers valuable insights, it highlights the need for further in-depth research on additional cultural dimensions. This paper contributes to understanding the intricate relationship between culture and conflict resolution. It serves as a guide for analyzing preferences in intercultural conflicts, promoting conflict resolution management in multicultural projects, and advancing cross-cultural cooperation and understanding. Continuous research in this field is essential for more effective conflict management in an increasingly diverse global landscape.

COVID-19 and Social Distancing: A Cross-Cultural Study of Interpersonal Distance Preferences and Touch Behaviors Before and During the Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the introduction of unprecedented safety measures, one of them being physical distancing recommendations. Here, we assessed whether the pandemic has led to long-term effects on two important physical distancing aspects, namely interpersonal distance preferences and interpersonal touch behaviors. We analyzed nearly 14,000 individual cases from two large, cross-cultural surveys – the first conducted 2 years prior to the pandemic and the second during a relatively stable period of a decreased infection rate in May-June 2021. Preferred interpersonal distances increased by 54% globally during the COVID-19 pandemic. This increase was observable across all types of relationships, all countries, and was more pronounced in individuals with higher self-reported vulnerability to diseases. Unexpectedly, participants reported a higher incidence of interpersonal touch behaviors during than before the pandemic. We discuss our results in the context of prosocial and self-protection motivations that potentially promote different social behaviors.

A mixed method comparison of stigma toward autism and schizophrenia and effects of person-first versus identity-first language.

While stigma toward autistic individuals has been well documented, less is known about how autism is perceived relative to other stigmatized disabilities. As a highly stigmatized condition with similar social cognitive features to autism, schizophrenia may offer a useful comparison for stigma. Previous studies have found that autistic people may be perceived more favorably than those with schizophrenia, but little is known about the underlying volitional thoughts that contribute to differences in how these conditions are perceived. The present study utilizes a mixed-methods approach, allowing for a detailed understanding of how young adults perceive different diagnostic labels. 533 college undergraduates completed questionnaires reflecting their perceptions of one of eight diagnostic labels: four related to autism (autism, autistic, autism spectrum disorder, or Asperger's), two related to schizophrenia (schizophrenia or schizophrenic), and two related to an unspecified clinical condition (clinical diagnosis or clinical disorder). Participants also completed an open-ended question regarding their thoughts about, and exposure to, these labels. Responses were compared across broader diagnostic categories (autism, schizophrenia, general clinical condition), with thematic analysis used to assess the broader themes occurring within the open-ended text. While perceptions did not differ significantly for person-first and identity-first language within labels, several differences were apparent across labels. Specifically, quantitative results indicated greater prejudice towards autism and schizophrenia than the generic clinical condition, with schizophrenia associated with more perceived fear and danger, as well as an increased preference for social distance, compared to autism. Patterns in initial codes differed across diagnostic labels, with greater variation in responses about autism than responses about schizophrenia or the general clinical condition. While participants described a range of attitudes toward autism (patronizing, exclusionary, and accepting) and schizophrenia (fear, prejudice, and empathy), they refrained from describing their attitudes toward the general clinical label, highlighting the centrality of a cohesive group identity for the development of stigma. Finally, participants reported a number of misconceptions about autism and schizophrenia, with many believing features such as savant syndrome to be core characteristics of the conditions. These findings offer a more detailed account of how non-autistic individuals view autism and may therefore aid in the development of targeted programs to improve attitudes toward autism.

Memory colors of familiar objects induce general color preference

AbstractPrevious studies have offered multiple explanations for the causality of color preference but no consensus has been reached. In this study, we propose an alternative explanation that the memory colors of familiar objects, especially food colors of humans can induce color preferences. We conducted two experiments. In Experiment 1, the memory color experiment, we asked participants to rate the similarity between presented color samples and memory colors of five familiar fruits and vegetables in Japan; we then calculated the location of the colors in the CIELAB color space that looked most similar to the remembered objects using the bivariate Gaussian function. In Experiment 2, the color preference experiment, color variations were created based on the memory colors obtained from Experiment 1. A different group of participants rated their preference for each color variation, then we applied regression analysis to these ratings. We observed two types of regressions between preference ratings and distance to memory colors: (1) for colors from red to green that represent the food colors for primates, color preference increased when the color was closer to the memory colors of the fruits and vegetables found in Experiment 1; and (2) for blue and purple colors, colors were preferred when they became bluer. We suggest that the evolutionarily acquired mechanism of color preference derives crucial cues from our ecological environment. Therefore, the mechanism produces the same color preference trend among people who grow up in similar environments, for example, environments containing the same fruits.