Semantic Differential Method Research Articles

Strategies for applying shape grammar to wooden furniture design: Taking traditional Chinese Ming-style recessed-leg table as an example

This paper uses shape grammar to conduct strategic research and innovative translation of existing wooden furniture designs. A traditional Chinese Ming-style recessed-leg table was used as an example to demonstrate its feasibility. The paper applies biological DNA genetic information to furniture products, and combines shape grammar to evolve and mutate them, thereby creating new forms of wooden furniture that maintain the original genes. A DNA gene pool of recessed-leg table was constructed, and an architectural queti replacement pool was constructed based on the rules of shape grammar as backup for subsequent experiments to replace part of the designed genes of the recessed-leg table. Shape grammar was used to deduce the recessed-leg table and generate three plans. A consumer questionnaire was established through the semantic differential method. After evaluating these three design plans, an optimal plan that meets market demand was selected, and modeling, rendering, and concept elaboration were performed. Finally, the paper takes Ming-style recessed-leg table as an example to demonstrate that it is effective and feasible to use shape grammar to guide the design and research of domestic wooden furniture.

Audiovisual effects of roadside tree plantings on perception of road traffic sounds

This study investigated the psychological influence of the surrounding landscapes related to the plantings along roadside areas on the subjective impressions of road traffic noise. Herein a subjective evaluation scheme incorporating the semantic differential and magnitude estimation methods was adopted. Under the virtual experimental environment, the conditions with only a visual stimulus and with both visual and auditory stimuli were comparatively evaluated. The results revealed significant differences between when only the visual environment was presented and when the auditory environment was also presented. It suggested that a realistic evaluation of the living environment is possible only when both the visual and auditory environments are explored together. Tree plantings located along the road were found to interact with the SPL of the road traffic noise and the urban environment visible through the windows. It indicated that the psychological noise reduction effect of plantings on noise annoyance varies significantly depending on the audiovisual environment.

СОЦИАЛЬНЫЕ ПРЕДСТАВЛЕНИЯ ОБ ИСКУССТВЕННОМ ИНТЕЛЛЕКТЕ: ПОЛЕЗНЫЙ, ЭМОЦИОНАЛЬНЫЙ И СМЕШНОЙ

In 2023, technologies based on Artificial Intelligence (AI) became available to many users of smartphones and digital services all over the world. AI is accessible in the form of Voice Assistants (VAs), music recommendations, Virtual Assistants, and even psychotherapy-bots. Such spread of AI also influenced the interest of psychologists in the topic of human-AI Interaction (HAII). In our work, following the tradition of social representation research by Moscovici [Moscovici 2015], we consider AI as an object of social representation. Using the VA as a form of AI, we reconstruct the semantic field of VA in a group of its users and offer a description of the process of its formation. The study took place in three stages: free associations, interviews, and survey. In the interview, the sample consisted of 15 people, in free associations – 168 people (3,329 associations with the phrase “Voice assistant” were analyzed), in the survey using the semantic differential method – 800 people. As a result of the thematic and frequency analysis, the following results were obtained: • The semantic field at the present stage of the study of VA is positiveneutral; the associations are divided into two topics: about the intellectual abilities and emotional qualities of the VA. • With semantic differential analysis, three factors were separately obtained: usefulness, emotionality, and humor. It is assumed that it is in the category of those three factors that the perception of a particular VA is formed. • The process of forming social representations is outlined with the help of interviews. Two main stages in “communication” with the VA were identified: the image formation and interaction with the finished image. As future research it was proposed to continue studying the impact of the image of the VA within the current perception model on various features of interaction with it (e.g. within the framework of economic decisions)

Psychosemantic analysis of environmental consciousness as a factor of sustainable society development

The study of psychosemantic aspects of the environmental consciousness of students is an extremely relevant topic in modern realities. This research provides understanding the ways the environmental consciousness of the young generation is formed and developing effective strategies for the education of responsible citizens with a high level of environmental culture, scientific knowledge of the natural environment, methods of environmental safety, capable of ensuring the sustainable development of our society. The purpose of this scientific work is to study the everyday ecological consciousness of students of Stavropol State Agrarian University. The method of experimental psychosemantics, semantic differential method, and the method of multivariate statistics factor analysis were used for the research. The basic constructs determining the students’ perception of the modern ecological reality in the natural environment were identified in the students’ everyday consciousness. The analysis of the results of the research of ecological consciousness of first- and fourth-year students is presented. It is shown that the first-year students perceive the ecological reality through the constructs “responsibility - irresponsibility” and “ecological centrality - anthropocentrism”, and the fourth-year students - through the constructs “ecological literacy”, “rational - irrational use of nature”. First year students perceive the image of an ecologically literate person, a carrier of eco-culture and a nature protector, a person leading an ecologically sustainable lifestyle and a modern student as ecologically responsible and ecologically centered. The novelty of this research lies in the application of psychosemantic method for studying the environmental consciousness of students of agrarian university.

Evaluation of landscape created by erosion control dam using physiological and psychological indicators.

This study demonstrated the effect of differences in the exterior of erosion control dams (ECDs) on humans. We recruited 34 university students. Participants sat 1.4 m away from the display while wearing a device for measuring heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability. They (i) took a rest while viewing a gray screen for one minute; (ii) viewed a randomly displayed image of one of the three ECDs' images for one minute; (iii) filled out questionnaires (using the semantic differential method and a profile of mood states) for five minutes; and (iv) took a rest to wash out residual sensitivity for five minutes. The process was repeated three times with three different ECD images. No significant difference was found between the participants' HRs measured before and while viewing the images of the three ECDs with different exterior materials, although the HRs were significantly reduced when viewing the wood-attached ECD compared with the concrete-exposed ECD. Participants perceived the concrete-exposed and stone-attached ECDs artificially, while they felt the wood-attached ECD naturally. In addition, the vigor score was significantly increased while total mood disturbance was significantly decreased when viewing the wood-attached ECD. However, there were no significant differences in other indicators, and participants' responses to the exteriors of the ECDs were positive overall. Our findings show that people do not physiologically and psychologically perceive ECDs negatively. Therefore, securing stability against sedimentary disasters should be a priority before using the landscape elements of an ECD.

Research on Scientific Calculation Methods and Ecological Effects of Plant Configurations in Sango Landscape Designs

Abstract The basic composition of plant communities is an important part of the landscape, and good plant community design can effectively enhance the ecological benefits of the landscape. The article selects four sites in Xining City and Gerga Village of Guide County, Qinghai Province, as research objects and designs the relevant image factors of plant landscape design based on the whole life cycle of plant landscape and carbon sequestration benefits. The evaluation and analysis of plant configuration in the study area were carried out using the beauty degree evaluation method and semantic difference method, and the measurement was carried out for the ecological benefits of plant configuration. The mean value of SBE of plant configuration in the study area was around 0.05 points, and the mean values of SD scores of 12 plant landscape image factors were distributed between [0.507,1.293] points. The maximum carbon sequestration benefit of Qinghai spruce could reach 178.35kg·a−1, which was 72.82% higher than the extreme value of scrub with the lowest carbon sequestration benefit. The mean value of carbon sequestration per unit leaf area of different types of sequestering plants was 14.09g·m−2·d−1, and the mean value of oxygen release was 7.99g·m−2·d−1, respectively, and the value of ecological benefit of purifying the atmosphere produced by landscape plants in 2033 was 2.21 times higher than that in 2023 The value of ecological benefit produced by landscape plants to purify the atmosphere in 2033 was 2.21 times of that in 2023. In the landscape design of Sanxiang in Qinghai Province, it is necessary to pay attention to the spatial location design of plant configuration, and it is also necessary to fully combine trees and shrubs in order to achieve optimal ecological benefits.

A deep learning-based method for evaluating the quality of corporate brand packaging visual design

Abstract With the development of deep learning technology, the quality evaluation of enterprise brand packaging visual design becomes more critical. The study first established a brand packaging design product color imagery dataset through color emotionalization, and used systematic clustering technology for imagery selection and evaluation. Subsequently, the brand packaging visual design was optimized based on user demand, combining perceptual engineering and user demand mapping model. Many samples were evaluated by GoogLeNet model, and the data were processed by K-mean clustering and semantic difference method. The results show that the proposed method can effectively distinguish the perceptual imagery of different brand packaging designs, such as traditional, modern, simple, and complex. Specifically, more than 90% of the samples in the experiment achieve high consistency in perceptual imagery evaluation. In addition, the study analyzed the classification effect and quality evaluation of corporate brand packaging visual design, proving the validity and reliability of the method. This study provides a new quality evaluation method for corporate brand packaging graphic design, which helps to improve design efficiency and quality.

Research on the Multimodal Integration of Visual Communication Design and Public Art in Digital Perspective

Abstract With the rise of digital media, the visual design of public art has gradually added multimodal interactive experience from purely conforming to information communication. Starting from the multimodal integration of public art visual communication design, this study takes several groups of public art landscape projects in a certain region as research objects to explore the relationship between the multimodal visual design of public art landscape and its public satisfaction. Firstly, the evaluation standard for public art visual communication design is constructed. The sample visual communication design is analyzed using the semantic difference method and then combined with the factor analysis method to provide a comprehensive evaluation. Based on determining the satisfaction effect indexes, the AHP method is used to assign weights to each index. Finally, the satisfaction effect results of the sample visual communication designs are obtained. After utilizing the result equation, the relationship between public art visual communication design and landscape satisfaction effect is explored. The overall appearance of public art visual communication design is presented better, and the impact of multimodal fusion visual communication design is especially prominent in samples 3, 2, and 10. The satisfaction effect of the sample visual communication design is also more satisfactory, with 70% of the sample landscapes scoring above 1.5. Meanwhile, the study verified the positive and significant influence of public art visual communication design on the satisfaction effect of landscapes. The theoretical basis and methodological exploration for the multimodal integration research of public art can be provided by this study.

Особенности темпоральной компетентности студентов педагогического вуза

A colossal information flow and a high degree of uncertainty in social situations impose new demands on the ability to self-organize and effectively plan time. Modernization of educational platforms involves strategies for continuous learning, including a large layer of independent work and distance technologies. In this regard, new requirements for the formation of competencies are increasing, centered around the skills of organizing time and planning activities that change pace. The problem field of this article is focused around the contradiction between the need for research into the dynamic temporal characteristics of modern students and the insufficient elaboration of this topic in educational practices. The authors explore the problem of temporal competence in the learning process among students of a pedagogical university in different courses of study. The purpose of the article is to determine the features of the formation of the studied characteristics depending on the course of study. Within the framework of this study, results were obtained reflecting the characteristics of the time characteristics of students from the first to the fourth year. To identify the characteristics of students' temporal competence, an empirical study was conducted using diagnostic methods: the method of studying the time perspective of personality by F. Zimbardo (adapted by A. Syrtsova, E. T. Sokolova, O. V. Mitina), the “Semantic Differential method time” (L. I. Wasserman, E. A. Trifonova, K. R. Chervinskaya). The empirical sample consisted of 246 full-time students aged 17 to 21 years (120 females and 126 males). As a result of the study, features of the functioning of temporal competence from the first year to the graduation were identified and described.

Research on the Application of Northwest Traditional Patterns in Modern Design under the Background of Big Data

Abstract Northwest traditional patterns possess a rich history and a distinctive artistic style, offering immense potential for innovative design applications. This paper delves into the integration of these conventional motifs into contemporary design frameworks. Initially, we employ the semantic differential method to select vocabulary for the perceptual assessment of Northwest traditional patterns when incorporated into modern designs. We analyze the components of the design samples and utilize the partial least squares method to construct a correlation model between the perceptual assessment vocabulary and the design elements. This approach facilitates a detailed correlation analysis between the application of Northwest traditional motifs and their perceptual evaluation, leading to the formation of associative links between the imagery vocabulary and design features. Subsequently, we define theme, symbol, composition, and color as independent variables, with audience preference as the dependent variable, to conduct a multiple regression analysis. This analysis explores the impact of these dimensions on audience preference. The findings indicate that the significance levels of theme, symbolism, composition, and color are all below 0.05, demonstrating a positive influence on audience preferences. Notably, symbolism, with a regression coefficient of 0.356, exerts the most substantial impact on audience preference. The established correlations between design elements and perceptual evaluations, alongside the analysis of design dimensions’ influence on audience preferences, provide valuable insights for the application of Northwest traditional motifs in modern design contexts.

Utilization of Luffa for Acoustic Panel on Interior Wall, A Technical and Perceptual Approach

Luffa Cylindrica is one of Indonesia’s biodiversity, which provides several benefits, such as for making handycraft, cleaning tool and event for building materials. This study aims to investigate the ability of Luffa as a sound absorber and its visual impression when applied to interior walls. The first stage is testing the damping ability of panels made of Luffa. Several specimens of Luffa acoustic panels were made with PVAc adhesive and then tested to determine their damping ability. From the test results using the impedance tube method (ASTME1050-12), the samples met the soundproof requirements with an absorption coefficient of 0.15 - 0.206 at a frequency of 1600 Hz. The lost sound transmission values obtained are in the range of 40-60 dB. Thus, Luffa can be used as a good sound-absorbing material. The next stage is the development of the visual design of the panel so that it has a certain aesthetic or perceptual value. Three designs were made with variations in shape and color into nine samples applied to a wall of interior space. The semantic differential method assessment found that simple and decorative impressions dominated when the panel was applied to interior walls.

An Analysis of Visual Preference and Characteristics through a Woodland Garden Perception Survey

Background and objective: Woodland gardens, or gardens designed to emulate the aesthetic and environmental characteristics of forest vegetation, can assist in resolving various environmental and societal problems. However, research regarding woodland gardens in a Korean context has been insufficient, as the concept has only recently been introduced to Korea. This study was conducted to investigate the Korean public's perceptions of two types of woodland gardens and to suggest future directions for the popularization of woodland gardens in Korea.Methods: This study was carried out based on a survey. The respondents were provided with a questionnaire on three sets of images representing two types of woodland garden (naturalistic and urban) and a typical formal garden. The questionnaire was designed based on the semantic differential method to gather information on the general public's recognition of the concept of woodland gardens, and their preference and perception of each type of garden. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS Statistics 29.Results: The results suggest that the majority of the respondents were familiar with the term "woodland garden." Of the types of gardens, preference for naturalistic woodland gardens (NWGs) was the highest. Landscape adjectives associated with each type of garden were natural, harmonious, comfortable and simple for NWGs, and organized, artificial, simple, poor, and comfortable for urban woodland gardens (UWGs). A factor analysis on the adjectives identified four factors for each type. Of the identified factors, comfort and stability were found to have particularly greater effects on preference.Conclusion: Preference for NWGs was greater than UWGs, due to the perception that they provided greater comfort and stability. It is expected that designing woodland gardens based on the finding of this study would aid in the popularization of woodland gardens, and the advancement of garden culture in Korea.

Differences in the Semantic Differential of Beauty in the Context of an Individual’s Art and Academic Education

The concept of Beauty is a frequently used but poorly defined term. Its interpretation in natural languages is influenced by numerous factors. This study focuses on potential differences in the understanding of the concept of Beauty by subjects who have gone through an academic education or an art education. It uses the semantic differential method with 21 bipolar adjectives grouped into the dimensions of activity, evaluation, and intensity. The results obtained from the analysis of the data from a sample of 2,206 participants (53.8% women) aged from 18 to 89 (M = 40.95; SD = 16.5) revealed that differences in the understanding of the concept of Beauty between those who had an artistic education and laypeople, and between individuals with higher and lower levels of academic education, are rare. For those with an academic education, significant differences (p ˂ 0.001) are only manifested in the activity dimension (specifically in the adjective pairs: Fast/Slow and Strict/Lenient). For those with an artistic education, they only appear in the evaluation dimension (in the adjective pairs: Inspiring/Boring, Inviting/Repulsive, and Pleasant/Unpleasant).

A consumer-oriented kansei evaluation model through online product reviews

Generating kansei profiles for products represent fundamental aspects of kansei engineering (KE). Conventionally, the semantic differential (SD) method has been extensively employed to construct product kansei profiles, aiming to delve into consumers’ perceptions of products. However, this approach is associated with significant time consumption and inefficiency. In light of this, we introduce an innovative kansei evaluation approach that incorporates consumers’ kansei preferences, thereby enhancing the efficiency of the evaluation process. This approach comprises three integral modules: Firstly, the generation of product kansei profiles and the construction of a kansei database for decision alternatives are achieved through the analysis of online reviews. Subsequently, the kansei data is adjusted based on consumers’ kansei preferences. Finally, the rank correlation analysis (RCA) is conducted to establish the prioritization of decision alternatives. Notably, this method facilitates the ranking of products in accordance with consumers’ kansei preferences, thereby assisting consumers in navigating through an array of functionally similar products to identify their preferred choices. A comprehensive case study illustrates the implementation procedure and validates the practicality of our proposed method.

Study on the effects of sound factors and their association with the psychological evaluation of thermal comforts

Humans have evaluated the living environment as a whole rather than based on individual factors. However, there are numerous ambiguities regarding the interrelationship between sound and thermal environment in actual living. In this research, we aimed to demonstrate the impact of sound and its association with a psychological evaluation of thermal comfort by exposing participants to sounds. We performed subjective evaluation experiments using the semantic differential method. A subjective investigation of the surrounding and sound environment using 30 pairs of evaluation items was conducted using the sound source of the fireplace. Additionally, we asked about the sound association and the clothing amount through free writing. In terms of evaluating the immediate surroundings, we compared the group that associated the sound with the fireplace appropriately with the group that did not: "Warm," "Comfortable," "Open," and three other components, and the subjective evaluation of the sound shifted significantly to the positive side in three items. As a result, it was revealed that sounds positively affected thermal comfort when associated appropriately. Furthermore, we clarified that associating sounds appropriately impacted the feeling of relaxation in the space.

Effects of Tactile Stimulation Using an Assortment of Natural Elements on the Psychophysiological Responses of Adults

Contact with the natural environment has positive effects on physical and mental health and well-being. This study aimed to investigate the effects of tactile stimulation on the psychophysiological responses of adults, using natural gardening elements. The participants were 30 adults (20–60 years old). The participants received tactile stimulation by touching five natural elements with their hands and feet, and tactile stimulation for each natural element was performed for 90 s. Geranium, tiny ardisia, decomposed granite soil, log hardwood, and culture soil were used as tactile stimulation factors for the hand, and moss, grass, pebble, bark, and culture soil were used as tactile stimulation factors for the foot. Oxyhemoglobin (oxy-Hb) concentrations in the prefrontal cortex during the stimulation as well as blood pressure and pulse rate after each activity were measured. Additionally, the semantic differential method was used to evaluate the psychological effects of contact with the elements on the participants. Compared to before tactile stimulation, the oxy-Hb concentration related to prefrontal lobe cortical activity significantly decreased in some sections using tiny ardisia, log hardwood, and culture soil on the hands, and using grass, moss, pebble, and bark on the feet. Blood pressure also showed a significant decrease after tactile stimulation using geranium, tiny ardisia, and log hardwood. The findings of this study suggest that tactile stimulation using natural gardening elements could be a significant intervention in inducing physiological stability and reducing stress by calming the activity of the prefrontal cortex.

Designing the rotary switch operation feeling based on cross-modal correspondences between tactile and auditory sensations

In recent years, the number of physical switches in in-vehicle devices has been reduced by consolidating several different control functions into a single control interface through active tactile devices. However, for such tactile devices to provide an improved user experience, the design must be carefully created to provide an appropriate operational feeling for each control function. The aim of this study was to find the best suitable combination of tactile and auditory sensations for the rotary knob-type tactile device to improve the user experience. The Semantic Differential method was used in the first experiment to evaluate electronically generated operating sounds, which enables the determination of the relationship between auditory impressions and acoustic features. In the second experiment, "the suitability of the combination of stimuli" was used to evaluate the impressions as an index during the simultaneous presentation of tactile and operating sounds. The results revealed a tendency for the stimuli to be perceived as "well-combined," with cross-modal correspondences between tactile and auditory sensations.

A laboratory experiment on subjective evaluation of the sound quality of aircraft noise

This study investigates the relationship between aircraft noise's sound quality and subjective impressions. Laboratory experiments were conducted to examine how the impression of aircraft noise differs depending on its sound quality. First, an experiment by the semantic differential method was conducted using sounds of various aircraft models, including those from the 2000s and earlier, as stimuli. The results showed that even when the A-weighted sound pressure levels were equal, the sounds of recent aircraft were perceived more positively, suggesting that a decrease in sharpness was the cause. In addition, another experiment by the method of adjustment was conducted to examine the effect of extraordinary tonal sounds included in aircraft noises. As a result, it could not be said that the extraordinary tonal sounds negatively affected the evaluation of aircraft noise.

Landscape evaluation of a residential plant community based on the scenic beauty estimation method

In Wenzhou City, located in Zhejiang Province, 100 plant communities were selected as evaluation samples, and the scenic beauty estimation (SBE) method was used to evaluate the degree of beauty. The semantic difference (SD) analysis method was selected to evaluate landscape characteristics. In the SBE method, plant growth, sense of hierarchy, landscape diversity and colour richness were used as the evaluation factors. A total of 140 professional and non-professional groups evaluated the 100 landscape samples. In the SD method, ten adjective pairs were selected as the evaluation criteria for the landscape features in the study. This research indicates that the SBE values of the professional and non-professional groups are strongly correlated. The non-professional group is more volatile and unstable. Professional evaluations of the plant community’s aesthetic value typically include considerations of elements such as plant growth, hierarchy, diversity of landscape and colour richness. In the evaluation of the landscape diversity, hierarchy, colour richness and plant growth, through the SD landscape analysis, the evaluators were able to conduct a correlation analysis of the landscape characteristics and quality of the green plant landscape. This is to find out what landscape features have the most significant impact on landscape quality.

Effects of Cognitive Demand Levels for Various Horticultural Activities on Psychophysiological Responses in Adults

We compared the effects of horticultural activities according to cognitive demand levels on psychophysiological responses in adults. Thirty-two adults in their 20s were included. Participants performed 10 horticultural activities (raking, planting transplants, fertilizing, tying plants to stakes, harvesting, sowing, conducting cuttage, planting potted plants, cutting and washing, arranging flowers) for 150 seconds at two levels of cognitive demand. Electroencephalographic (EEG) and electrocardiographic measurements were acquired during the activity. After each activity, the participants’ emotional states were evaluated using the semantic differential method (SDM). The EEG results, according to comparison by activity, showed that for nine activities, excluding raking, relative theta decreased when performing tasks at a level of high cognitive difficulty (HCD) compared with those with a low cognitive difficulty (LCD), and relative beta, relative gamma, fast alpha, and relative low beta increased, indicating activation of the prefrontal cortex. In the relative theta power spectra, the cuttage activity was found to be the lowest when performing tasks at a high level high cognitive difficulty, and the working memory function was activated the most compared with other activities. When sowing at a low level of cognitive demand, participants’ heart rate decreased and stabilized. When potted plants were harvested at a high level of cognitive difficulty, the ratio of low frequency to high frequency increased, and the sympathetic nervous system was activated. In addition, when planting transplants, and cutting and washing were performed at a high level of cognitive difficulty, and the standard deviation of the RR interval was high, indicating a high ability of the autonomic nervous system to resist stress. As a result of the SDM, the emotional state according to task difficulty was found to be more stable and relaxed than high cognitive difficulty, but a significant increase in comfort, relaxation, and naturalness was achieved when nine gardening tasks with low cognitive difficulty were performed, with the exception of sowing. The results of this study show that tasks with high cognitive difficulty activate working memory, whereas those with low cognitive difficulty stabilize and relax brain activation. Therefore, this study confirmed that an intervention in horticultural activities with an appropriate level of cognitive difficulty could have a significant effect on psychophysiological changes in adults.