Multisensory Experience Research Articles

Dinosaurs, Mushrooms, and Geometric Forms - Conversations with Young Children About Natural Science and Mathematics

Abstract In this case study, we explore how early childhood education and care (ECEC) teachers can foster children’s participation in conversations about natural science and mathematics and what factors influence it. Data consisted of 29 conversations between ECEC teachers and children. The results showed that eight of the conversations were open dialogues in which the teachers and children participated equally. In 19 of the conversations, the ECEC teachers led the conversation, and the children, to various degrees, were active and engaged participants. Two conversations were led by the children. The results showed that the children participated more actively in conversations about natural science than mathematics, and that multisensory artifacts and physical activities enhanced their participation in the conversations. The study suggests that ECEC settings should provide more opportunities for multisensory experiences and physical activities, and that teachers need more guidance on how to explain concepts and phenomena, within natural science and mathematics, to children of different ages.

Nostalgic nation: simplicity, togetherness, and the senses in contemporary Greece

ABSTRACT This article examines how nostalgia for the late twentieth century has marked Greece since the 2010s. The analysis merges invisible observation and semiotic analysis to scrutinize nostalgic social groups on Facebook and brings the findings into dialog with interviews with creators of nostalgic places. Nostalgia is approached as an emotion that revolves around idealized utopias founded upon simplicity and togetherness in Greek society. Finally, the article argues that nostalgia represents a multi-sensory experience able to connect digital environments with ‘real-life’ experiences linking heterogeneous audiences.

Individualized Tourist Experience Route Recommendation : İstiklal Street in Beyoğlu

Linear tourist routes in cities are a significant obstacle to spreading social functions such as culture, trade, shopping, and entertainment. To address this issue, the study proposes a novel approach that creates personalized, multi-sensory experience routes to revitalize the interaction between place and tourist. The purpose of the study is to design a route-generation model that draws multi-sensory and personalized experience routes. In addition, the importance of multi-sensory experience associated with the concept of 4E (Entertainment, Education, Esthetic, and Escapist) in tourism is emphasized. The design of the model was carried out with datasets collected from 80 different small and medium-sized workshops in four different themes, each containing 20 points of interest (POI), located in Beyoğlu which is one of the important historical centers of Istanbul. In this way, the route generation model allows tourists to have a multi-sensory experience; it provides personalization according to the content, location, time, and budget preferences of the tourists, and experience routes are drawn. Newly proposed routes for historic city centers aim to provide a more personalized tourism experience by revealing hidden gems based on tourists' senses and 4E preferences.

Enhancing Presence, Immersion, and Interaction in Multisensory Experiences Through Touch and Haptic Feedback

In this narrative historical review, we take a closer look at the role of tactile/haptic stimulation in enhancing people’s immersion (and sense of presence) in a variety of entertainment experiences, including virtual reality (VR). An important distinction is highlighted between those situations in which digital tactile stimulation and/or haptic feedback are delivered to those (i.e., users/audience members) who passively experience the stimulation and those cases, including VR, where the user actively controls some aspects of the tactile stimulation/haptic feedback that they happen to be experiencing. A further distinction is drawn between visual and/or auditory VR, where some form of tactile/haptic stimulation is added, and what might be classed as genuinely haptic VR, where the active user/player experiences tactile/haptic stimulation that is effortlessly interpreted in terms of the objects and actions in the virtual world. We review the experimental evidence that has assessed the impact of adding a tactile/haptic element to entertainment experiences, including those in VR. Finally, we highlight some of the key challenges to the growth of haptic VR in the context of multisensory entertainment experiences: these include those of a technical, financial, psychological (namely, the fact that tactile/haptic stimulation often needs to be interpreted and can reduce the sense of immersion in many situations), psycho-physiological (such as sensory overload or fatigue), physiological (e.g., relating to the large surface area of the skin that can potentially be stimulated), and creative/artistic nature.

Gustatory cortex neurons perform reliability-dependent integration of multisensory flavor inputs.

Flavor is the quintessential multisensory experience, combining gustatory, retronasal olfactory, and texture qualities to inform food perception and consumption behavior. However, the computations that govern multisensory integration of flavor components and their underlying neural mechanisms remain elusive. Here, we use rats as a model system to test the hypothesis that taste and smell components of flavor are integrated in a reliability-dependent manner to inform hedonic judgments and that this computation is performed by neurons in the primary taste cortex. Using a series of two-bottle preference tests, we demonstrate that hedonic judgments of taste+ smell mixtures are a weighted average of the component judgments, and that the weight of the components depends on their relative reliability. Using extracellular recordings of single-neuron spiking and local field potential activity in combination with decoding analysis, we reveal a correlate of this computation in gustatory cortex (GC). GC neurons weigh bimodal taste and smell inputs based on their reliability, with more reliable inputs contributing more strongly to taste+ smell mixture responses. Input reliability was associated with less variable responses and stronger network-level synchronization in the gamma band. Together, our findings establish a quantitative framework for understanding hedonic multisensory flavor judgments and identify the neural computations that underlie them.

Synesthetic Interactions: Exploring the Multisensory Relationships Between Color and Scent in Human Perception

Abstract The article explores the intricate relationship between colors and odors through five experiments. These experiments were developed by researchers in the field of olfactory design and used in a public workshop held in Brescia titled Chromascent, as part of the event il Corpo Eterno, curated by Elena Abbiatici. The first experiment investigates the duration and characteristics of visual and olfactive memories, revealing a complex interplay between these sensory modalities. The second focuses on the influence of color on perceived fragrance purity, showing that color can affect the identification of pure scents. The third experiment examines the neurological connections between colors and smells, suggesting that congruent color-odor pairings enhance cognitive performance. The fourth study investigates the effect of color intensity on perceived scent intensity, yielding mixed results. The fifth experiment delves into the mental processing of a pleasant atmosphere, demonstrating the dominant role of visual stimuli and the significant impact of olfactory elements in shaping emotional responses and memories. This comprehensive study offers valuable insights into the multisensory nature of human perception, with practical applications for design fields including product design, packaging, educational environments, and interior design. These findings can inform the creation of multisensory experiences that are aesthetically pleasing and enhance cognitive function, emotional response, and memory formation.

CINESONIC REALITY IN ART AND DESIGN ON DIGITAL MEDIA

Digital technology has significantly transformed the concepts and practices of art, including the creation of art and design. Cinesonic emerged as an innovative form that integrates the visual and the aural into a unified and holistic aesthetic through multisensory experiences. Consequently, it has fostered extensive artistic expression, depth and diversity of meaning, and the emergence of new paradigms in contemporary culture. This study aims to describe cinesonic as a medium for the recreation of art and culture while simultaneously fostering visual-aural awareness in everyday human activities, which are often overlooked. The development of visual-aural awareness has the potential to enhance the depth and quality of audience appreciation. This research is qualitative, employing a descriptive-analytical method. A historical explanation approach is utilized to guide the description within spatial and temporal boundaries. Data were collected from prior papers and works discussing the cinesonic movement and its realities in art and design. The paper focuses on examining the definition, history, and application of the cinesonic concept across various contexts. The findings reveal that cinesonic expands the boundaries of traditional aesthetics, offers sharp social critique, and creates multisensory interactions that are highly relevant to the digital era. At an advanced stage, cinesonic is anticipated to become an art form capable of enhancing artistic experiences, fostering awareness, and shaping new insights into the relationships between humans, technology, and their environments.

Práticas educativas ambientais em biodiversidade nativa

The article proposes to report on the development and discuss the results of a university extension project carried out among undergraduate and graduate students in Architecture and Urbanism and students from the 2nd stage of basic education in a public school on the outskirts of São Paulo city. The project aimed at sharing knowledge and practices regarding urban afforestation, tree species, and native birdlife. The initiative is justified by the understanding that planning and actions focused on sustainable urban design benefit from the participation of populations, while also revaluing ecosystems and integrating them into society has a real impact on local life, strengthening the sense of recognition and potentially providing lasting economic and environmental benefits. The activities involved literature review on native bird and tree species, holding discussion meetings with the school community, giving lectures on Brazilian flora and the animals attracted to them, and planting seedlings of native trees in the school's open area to start a garden. As a result of the project, based on the identified challenges, it is argued that environmental education practices involving the school community, related to the afforestation of native species, can be understood as: (I) a strategy for counter-colonization of knowledge; (II) a possibility for exploring multisensorial experiences; (III) a gesture of intergenerational and planetary responsibility; and (IV) the building of alliances and practicing the common.

Garden EngAGEment: Cultivating Cultures of Care Through Artful Place-Making

ABSTRACT By describing the practices of Garden EngAGEment, a community garden project at Minnesota State University, Mankato (MNSU), we articulate the concept of artful place-making as an alternative, experiential approach to organizing and teaching care for people with Alzheimer’s dementia and other associated dementias (AD/OADs). Drawing from arts-based research, place-based education, and sensory studies, we describe how artful place-making involves the dynamic interplay of knowing, making, and being in the garden where Garden EngAGEment’s activities take place. Our analysis describes how Garden EngAGEment, through the process of artful place-making, seeds a new culture of care for health professions training, grows connections through multi-sensorial experiences, and cultivates personal, relational, and community transformations.

Research Priorities for Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response: An Interdisciplinary Delphi Study.

Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) is a multisensory experience most often associated with feelings of relaxation and altered consciousness, elicited by stimuli which include whispering, repetitive movements, and close personal attention. Since 2015, ASMR research has grown rapidly, spanning disciplines from neuroscience to media studies but lacking a collaborative or interdisciplinary approach. To build a cohesive and connected structure for ASMR research moving forwards, a modified Delphi study was conducted with ASMR experts, practitioners, community members, and researchers from various disciplines. Ninety-eight participants provided 451 suggestions for ASMR research priorities which were condensed into 13 key areas: (1) Definition, conceptual clarification, and measurement of ASMR; (2) Origins and development of ASMR; (3) Neurophysiology of ASMR; (4) Understanding ASMR triggers; (5) Factors affecting the likelihood of experiencing/eliciting ASMR; (6) ASMR and individual/cultural differences; (7) ASMR and the senses; (8) ASMR and social intimacy; (9) Positive and negative consequences of ASMR in the general population; (10) Therapeutic applications of ASMR in clinical contexts; (11) Effects of long-term ASMR use; (12) ASMR platforms and technology; (13) ASMR community, culture, and practice. These were voted on by 70% of the initial participant pool using best/worst scaling methods. The resulting agenda provides a clear map for ASMR research to enable new and existing researchers to orient themselves towards important questions for the field and to inspire interdisciplinary collaborations.

Reflected encounters at hunter-gatherer rock art sites by the water

ABSTRACT This article seeks to recapture the sensory experiences of prehistoric hunter-gatherers in the Finnish Lake District by examining the acoustics of their rock art sites. The sites consist of vertical cliffs rising directly from the lakes, with painted images of humans, boats, and animals, sometimes also drummers (5000–1500 calBC). The acoustic impulse response measurements performed at 37 sites indicate that the painted cliffs, in their original state, reflected sound more strongly and accurately than the nearby lakeshore rocks. The psychoacoustic criterion and the auralizations created through artistic improvisations indicate that the reflections generated discrete single-repeat echoes, which endowed sounds produced in front of the cliffs with their auditory mirror images. As these reflections appeared to emanate from invisible sources behind the paintings, the auditory and visual images overlapped merging into one multisensory experience. Although the sounds and music of prehistoric people are beyond our reach, the study shows that the physical environment actively participated in their activities, co-vibrating and creating reciprocal tangible encounters between the human and more-than-human worlds. For the history of sound and music, the study provides an example of how significant a role sound reflections could have in past societies.

Achieving resident value co-creation in night-time leisure activities: Modelling and evaluating outcomes from a multi-sensory perspective

As the night economy contributes widely to cities, regions, and nations worldwide, resident value co-creation, has been a topic of significant interest. Although there is a growing interest in value co-creation, there is limited research on how multi-sensory stimulation affects residents engaged in night-time leisure. It is also unclear whether a place could instigate value co-creation with local residents by strategically selecting appropriate sensory stimuli, and if so, how. Using a mixed methods approach, this study draws on the sensory marketing framework to explore the process by which residents’ multi-sensory perceptions evoke emotion and subsequently influence value co-creation. The structural equation modelling indicated that multi-sensory experience, place identity and place dependence, positively impacted value co-creation, and results of the fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis revealed 12 combined paths that could stimulate value co-creation. These findings provide actionable insights for DMOs to tailor sensory marketing initiatives, maximising resident value creation in night-time leisure.

The exploration of sensory and multisensory experiences of Hobart’s Salamanca Market and their potential as intangible heritage

ABSTRACT To explore the multisensory experience and heritage potential of the major tourist site Salamanca Market (Hobart, Australia), a mixed-methods approach employed semi-structured interviews and field observations/measurements to uniquely obtain quantitative and qualitative sensory experience data over the 2023 winter period. Interviews (n = 9) and a survey (n = 16) considered local/non-local visitors, stallholders and volunteers, examining sensory experience and perceptions, authenticity relationships, and ascribed values of heritage. To ground experience perceptions, field methods documented the multiplicity of sensory experience on-site (visual, aural, olfactory, gustatory and tactile) through sensory walks (i.e. soundwalks, smellwalks), alongside point measurements, photography/videography, and narrative descriptions. The study identified a multitude of (multi)sensory encounters and found recognition of a unique multisensory atmosphere at Salamanca Market, particularly concerning visual, aural and olfactory components. However, sensory heritage was best reflected in local responses, showing that heritage attribution and potential are not similarly impactful across all market users.

Cultural big data: nineteenth to twenty-first century panoramic visualization.

From the nineteenth-century panorama to the emergence of the digital panoramic format in the 1990's, the visualization of large images frequently relies on panoramic viewing strategies. Originally rendered in the form of epic painted canvases, these strategies are now amplified through gigapixel imaging, computer vision and machine learning. Whether for scientific analysis, dissemination, or to visualize cultural big data, panoramic strategies pivot on the illusion of immersion. The latter is achieved through human-centered design situated within a large-scale environment combined with a multi-sensory experience spanning sight, sound, touch, and smell. In this article, we present the original research undertaken to realize a digital twin of the 1894 panorama of the battle of Murten. Following a brief history of the panorama, the methods and technological framework systems developed for Murten panorama's visualization are delineated. Novel visualization methodologies are further discussed, including how to create the illusion of immersion for the world's largest image of a single physical object and its cultural big data. We also present the visualization strategies developed for the augmentation of the layered narratives and histories embedded in the final interactive viewing experience of the Murten panorama. This article offers researchers in heritage big data new schemas for the visualization and augmentation of gigapixel images in digital panoramas.

Consumer Conscience and Mindfulness and Its Influence on the Attitude Towards Virtual Shopping

An essential aspect of developing virtual content today is improving the user experience by reducing the adverse effects of using new technologies. In this way, this paper aims to analyze the moderating effects of consumer awareness and mindfulness in the relationship between factors such as technological stress and the multisensory experience and its impact on attitude towards virtual shopping. The data is analyzed with the structural equations model to achieve this purpose. The database researched is made up of responses from 400 users of virtual content from companies belonging to the fashion sector. Among the main results, it is found that the consumer's conscience and mindfulness directly and positively influence the relationship between technological stress and the attitude towards virtual shopping. At the same time, the case of the consumer's conscience did not show any results.

Thermal comfort and gender affirmation: A virtual ethnography of extreme heat among trans women in Rio de Janeiro

The multisensory experience of feeling hot, breathless, sweaty, and weak during heat spells among transgender people is a critically understudied area in both medical anthropology and thermal comfort research. This article contributes to the anthropology of heat and humidity by intersecting with health and thermal comfort studies. Through virtual ethnography with three trans women in Rio de Janeiro in 2021 and 2022, the research reveals that trans women in the city face heightened risks of heat stress and thermal discomfort due to unsafe living conditions, side effects of gender-affirming modifications, and social discrimination. These findings highlight the urgent need to address the specific challenges transgender individuals face in accessing thermal safety and underscore the importance of considering their unique needs.

A Nature-Immersive Virtual Reality Intervention to Support Hospice Family Caregivers: Qualitative Findings from a Pilot Study

ObjectiveFamily caregivers (FCGs) of cancer patients who are in hospice experience psychological challenges and poor quality of life (QOL) as a consequence of caregiving demands and anticipatory loss. Supportive interventions are needed. Exposure to nature offers a source of relaxation; however, FCGs are often homebound and have limited opportunities for respite. Technology-mediated nature experiences delivered via virtual reality (VR) may be an alternative. The purpose was to explore the perspectives of hospice FCGs who completed a nature-immersive VR intervention for the enhancement of their emotional health and QOL. MethodsNine scenes, including a tropical beach, green meadow, underwater ocean, and red savanna, were offered. Participants were asked to select one scene to view for a minimum of 10 minutes for five consecutive days at home. Semi-structured interviews were conducted via videoconferencing software and audio-taped, then transcribed, coded, and analyzed using content analysis. ResultsNine participants (aged 33-76 years old) were interviewed. Two content categories included 1) feasibility and 2) acceptability. Participants reported ease-of-use and denied encountering difficulties. Scenes were relaxing and calming, providing mindfulness and escapism elements. Participants enjoyed the interactive, multisensory experience, offering views of wildlife and nature sounds. Two reported motion sickness and eye strain with longer use. Suggestions included extending the study duration and the option to explore other scenes. ConclusionsFindings provide preliminary evidence for the efficacy of a nature-based VR intervention. Larger, diverse samples, with group randomization, are warranted. Technology-mediated nature experiences offer support for the emotional health and QOL of hospice FCGs. Trial registrationN/A.

Multisensory healing: transformative service encounters in nonpharmacological therapies for cancer patients’ well-being

Purpose This study aims to explore the impact of nonpharmacological therapies on cancer patients’ daily illness management and long-term well-being. It focuses on the design and effects of immersive multisensory workshops, including therapies such as yoga, music therapy and visual imagery. By examining individuals’ experiences before, during and after the service experience, the study aims to provide comprehensive insights into the transformative effects of these immersive multisensorial experiences from the individuals’ perspectives. Design/methodology/approach From November 2021 to March 2023, the authors conducted 13 interviews and 3 focus groups (10 participants in total) among cancer patients. Thematic analysis of recorded interviews and focus groups revealed recurring patterns, key themes and meaningful insights from participants’ narratives. Findings The findings provide insights into individuals’ journey of service experiences among cancer patients from a user perspective. By framing the results within the service encounters model, individuals’ journey of this immersive multisensory experience is studied in three different periods: the pre-core, the core and the post-core service encounter. The pre-core service encounter includes activities such as information gathering to answer concerns and setting expectations, with the therapy. The core service encounter encompasses the immersive environmental experience, which includes multisensory integration and activity immersion, body-mind reconnection, as well as engaging interactive experiences with service providers, other patients and internal engagement. The post-core service encounter reflects the cognitive, psychological, behavioral and spiritual outcomes of the service. Originality/value This paper sheds light on the design of immersive multisensory workshops as nonpharmacological therapy. Adopting a user-focused approach using the service encounters framework helps clarify various aspects of this therapy and its effects on patients’ reconnection with their bodies and well-being. This research offers valuable insights for designing effective multisensory therapeutic environments for chronic patients to improve the quality of health-care services.

Multisensory experiences of affective touch in virtual reality enhance engagement, body ownership, pleasantness, and arousal modulation

When engaging in physical contact, our emotional response hinges not only on the nuanced sensory details and the receptive properties of the skin but also on contextual cues related to the situation and interpersonal dynamics. The consensus is that the nature of the affective interactive experience in social touch is shaped by a combination of ascending, C-tactile (CT) afferents mediated somatosensory information, and modulatory, top-down information. The question we pose here is whether, in the absence of somatosensory input, multisensory cues alone can suffice to create a genuinely pleasant, authentic, and engaging experience in virtual reality. The study aims to explore how affective touch is perceived in immersive virtual environments, considering varied social norms in neutral settings or settings like a physiotherapy room where the touch provider is a healthcare professional. We conducted an experiment with 58 male and female healthy adults, where we employed a within-group counterbalanced design featuring two factors: (a) visuo-tactile affective touch, and (B) visual-only affective touch. Findings, drawn from questionnaires and collected physiological data, shed light on how contextual factors influence implicit engagement, self-reported embodiment, co-presence, as well as the perceived realism and pleasantness of the touch experience. Our findings, in line with the literature, indicate that to experience the advantages of touch in immersive virtual worlds, it is essential to incorporate haptic feedback, as depending solely on visual input may not be adequate for fully realising the optimal benefits of interpersonal touch. Furthermore, in contradiction with our hypothesis, a less ambiguous context (specifically, the physiotherapy room and touch from a physiotherapist) is not linked to heightened touch pleasantness.

Editorial

This issue of RERM includes four papers that boldly attempt to propose ways in which educational research practices, traditions and methods might be enacted differently. They take seemingly foundational research methods (reviewing literature, ethnographic observation, walking methodologies) and transform them in to something less familiar that invite our readers to stutter and reappraise how else research might be done and with what outcomes. Firstly, researching from Danish inner cities, Staunæs and Vertelyte draw on affect theory and a concern with moods and felt pedagogies in education to explore how hopes and anxieties are woven through school objects and architecture. Through minor interventions the authors propose that there are abundant possibilities to improve the inclusion of racialized students in the inbetween, and often pathologised spaces of school. This holds the potential to radically shift perceptions, prejudices and behaviours that are not always identifiable but that can be sensed through the minor gesture. The authors attend to the significance of language and what happens through translation and diffractive readings. They stress that concepts that travel require careful consideration when transposed into alternative geopolitical contexts. They take Ahmed’s ‘happy objects’ as a case in point to make visible the specificities of local context and what that means for advancing theory that can pay closer attention to time and space. The next two papers address ways in which literature reviews – a staple element to any research project – can be up-ended and reimagined when post-foundational theories and practices are put to work. Naomi Pears-Scown makes use of Baradian theoretical concepts to think-with literature rather than merely review what is already known and organize a corpus of knowledge into useful categories. Through literature cartographies, Pears-Scown develops a mapping strategy that makes visible her affective engagement with literature through the crafting of found-poems which tell stories of the ways in which place shapes approaches to arts therapy in various geopolitical contexts. This novel approach to engaging with and encountering literature disrupts received wisdom about how literature should be reviewed and instead invites the reader to sit with the discomforts of expanding how literature stories can be told. In resonance with Pears-Scown, the next paper written by co-authors Boks-Vlemmix and Aspfors, offers a similar challenge to orthodoxies surrounding what a literature review is and how it should be undertaken. In their experimental piece the authors offer glimpses into what gets generated when the emphasis concerns processes and practices of doing a literature review rather than what it represents. Like the previous paper, the authors are inspired by a cartographic approach that holds the potential to map the processes involved in becoming deeply immersed and affect with a body of literature. They take literature on Teacher Educator Professional Learning as a case in point to explore how mapping and tracing entangled concepts can generate unanticipated insights and present new lines of thought. Finally, Louisa Allen explores the potential of smell, with all the senses and beyond the human, for educational research. She takes the reader on ‘smellwalks’ which presented themselves as an unlikely research method during pandemic lockdown. Allen provides detailed accounts of the ways in which smellwalks came into being in a small coastal town in Aotearoa-New Zealand and enabled a deep exploration of pandemic-transformed life at a daily and local level. The paper offers a theoretical examination of smellwalk methodology as a means to consider smell through multisensory conceptualisations where human senses are understood as distinct but overlapping. Further, the paper theorises the act of smelling as unbounded and ultimately, always more-than-human. A series of research moments are examined to demonstrate how smelling involves a multisensory experience that emerges with/through the material landscape. Together these papers offer important ways to reappraise approaches to research methodology in education that have become so deeply embedded that they unwittingly shape conventional expectations of how research should be done, has always be done. Each of these papers offer exciting invitations to interrupt this routine way of thinking. Respond to the invitation to pause, to ask, must we do it that way? The way it has always been done? What happens if we question and dare to experiment with alternative approaches? When theory is mobilized through research that seeks to pursue alternative lines of inquiry, what then? When theoretical concepts are taken up in/to ‘foreign’ spaces what happens to them? How do they travel? What do they agitate? What do they make possible? Aligned with the aims of this journal, these papers individually and collectively, invite a pause to business-as-usual in educational research. Jayne Osgood Camilla Andersen Mona-Lisa Angell Ann Merete Otterstad Editors