Semantic Differential Method Research Articles

Attitudes Towards the Elderly Among Students of Pedagogy

The main aim of this study is to consider and present pedagogy students’ attitudes towards the elderly. The results presented herein were collected in a pilot project. The survey was conducted among 66 pedagogy students; a questionnaire and the semantic differential method were used as the research tools. The results revealed positive attitudes among the students towards the elderly. However, a conclusion was drawn that pedagogy students should be allowed to take part in activities involving the elderly. Students’s awareness of their own attitudes might allow them to understand elderly people’s behavior. A proper understanding of the aging process and old age can create a chance for better communication and inter-generational cooperation. It is also an inspiration for understanding their own aging process.

Physiological and Psychological Effects of Visual Stimulation with Green Plant Types.

This study was designed to assess the physiological and psychological benefits of visually looking at foliage plants in adults. This study involved 30 adults in their 20s (11 males, 19 females), and using a crossover design, participants looked at four different types of visual stimuli, namely, real plants, artificial plants, a photograph of plants, and no plants for 5 min. Brain waves were measured while viewing each type of plant, and a subjective evaluation of emotions was performed after each visual stimulus. Semantic differential methods (SDM) and Profile of Mood States (POMS) were used for the subjective evaluation. During the real plant visual stimulation, relative theta (RT) power spectrum was increased in the bilateral occipital lobes, while relative high beta (RHB) power spectrum was reduced in the left occipital lobe, indicating a reduction in stress, anxiety, and tension. The subjective survey results revealed that when looking at real plants, the participants exhibited significantly higher “comfort,” “natural,” and “relaxed” scores as well as an increase in positive mood conditions. In conclusion, among the four types of plants, visual stimulation with real plants induces physiological relaxation in adults and has a positive psychological effect.

Perception of advertising texts by native russian speakers of different age groups

The article presents the results of an experimental study of the perception of advertising texts by speakers of Russian of different age groups. The subject of the research is the peculiarities of respondents' perception of advertising texts. The main objective of the study was to identify the emotional and evaluative component in the perception of the proposed advertisement texts by representatives of different age groups, which determined the choice of the research approach to the linguistic material. Three advertising texts from the social network Instagram were taken for the experiment. The study was conducted in the form of a survey on the online platform Google Forms. The survey was conducted in two stages. The first stage was a psycholinguistic experiment using the semantic differential method, and the second stage was a questionnaire survey followed by quantitative and qualitative interpretation of the results. The semantic differential method allowed to reveal the emotional and evaluative component, and the questionnaire method allowed to verify the obtained results. The aim of the article is to present the peculiarities of the perception of advertising texts by representatives of different age groups. The analysis of the experimental materials allowed us to conclude about the difference in the perception of one advertisement by people of different ages, as well as about the effectiveness of the semantic differential method for studying the perception of polycode advertisement texts. The experimental study confirmed the hypothesis that when creating advertising texts it is necessary to take into account the difference in the perception of advertising by people of different ages. Only in this way can an effective advertisement text be created, which will work for the main purpose the sale of a product or service. The hypothesis that the semantic differential method is effective for studying the perception of an advertisement text, including respondents of different age groups, was also confirmed. The results of the experimental study provide an opportunity to expand the understanding of the possibilities and effectiveness of using the semantic differential method in studying the respondents' perception of the advertising text, and can also be applied in the training of advertising professionals.

Discovery and Extraction of Cultural Traits in Intangible Cultural Heritages Based on Kansei Engineering: Taking Zhuang Brocade Weaving Techniques as an Example

Taking China’s national intangible cultural heritage (ICH) Zhuang brocade as the research object, its cultural traits were extracted through scientific methods from the perspective of Kansei Engineering. Samples were collected through desk research, expert interviews, and questionnaires for qualitative and quantitative research. The semantic differential method was adopted to analyze the vocabulary descriptions of different types of Zhuang brocade samples, and the Likert scale was used to measure the viewer’s visual perception. Eye tracker experiments were conducted to verify and further explore the cultural traits of Zhuang brocade so that the emotions in this ICH can be quantified more scientifically. Based on the heat map and data, scientific and reasonable descriptions and typical shapes best matching Zhuang brocade cultural traits were acquired. By using new technologies to interpret ICHs, this study proposed another way to extract cultural traits from ICH. The extracted Zhuang brocade cultural traits in this study could help improve the understanding of Zhuang brocade. This study could also provide certain references for the modern application and design of Zhuang brocade.

Study on smellscape perception and landscape application of fragrant plants

Plants in parks emit different fragrances. How will these fragrances affect us? How can we better allocate these plants? In this paper, five kinds of traditional fragrant plants in northern China were selected for fragrance analysis by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS) and the fragrance types and diffusion process were analyzed by a smell-walking method. Subjective evaluation of fragrance perception was carried out in outdoor plant communities using a semantic differential method. At the same time, the application of fragrant plants was discussed. The purpose was to explore the relationship between smellscape and perception and provide a reference for smellscape map drawing and landscape application of fragrant plants. Study plants were shown to plants present different fragrance types: monoterpense, syringaldehyde, β-ionone and acetic acid phenylmethyl ester were the main compounds of magnolia, syringa, osmanthus and wintersweet, and linalool was also the major compounds of tree peony, osmanthus and wintersweet. Smell-walking survey reported that magnolia and tree peony exhibited a woody and light medicinal fragrance, syringa emitted a powerful hyacinth-like odor, osmanthus had a strong sweet smell, and wintersweet had a fresh sweet smell. And subjective evaluation of fragrance perception was positive; the evaluation value of osmanthus was the highest, followed by magnolia and wintersweet, and finally syringa and tree peony. Further, subjects found tree peony to be less pleasant because of its mixed fragrance. We also found that fragrance concentration and diffusion were related to plant density, tree height, receptor location and spatial range. Other factors, such as surrounding plants, landscape architecture, rockery and water also affected fragrance diffusion. Our findings show that these myriad factors should be considered comprehensively in plant allocation.

Lesya Ukrainka's Poetry in Chinese Translation: Psycholinguistic Aspect

Aim of the study. On the basis of the theories of dynamic translation, determine the degree of correspondence between the psycho-cognitive reactions of Ukrainian and Chinese recipients to the original and translated texts of the poetry-cycle of Lesya Ukrainian “Tears-Pearls”. 
 Research methods. Psycholinguistic methods of empirical research are basic in this article: Osgood’s semantic differential method, content analysis and free associative experiment, other linguistic methods (cognitive and semantic analysis) and general scientific methods (analysis, synthesis, description and classification of linguistic facts) are also used.
 Results. On the basis of previous theoretical studies, the essential characteristics of translation as a psycho-cognitive process have been established. It is argued that the degree of equivalence of the translation of a literary text is determined not only by the work of the translator, but also by the emotional-evaluative reaction of the target recipients. An important thesis is that the perception of the text (original and translation) is influenced by the interhemispheric asymmetry of the mental activity of speakers of different languages (Clark & Paivio, 1991; Fenollosa, 1968; Zasyekin, 2010). Empirical research has shown that the “right-brain” imaginative thinking of the Chinese partly determines the degree of equivalence of their perception of the translation of Lesya Ukrainka’s poetry. The semantic profiles showed a fairly neutral emotional and evaluative reaction of the Chinese to translation incentives, which, in our opinion, was conditioned by the ethnonational specifics of the original text and the difference in poetic traditions. Despite the preservation of the thematic categories of the original in translation, in the new (Chinese) semantic space, these categories partly acquired other sociocultural meanings, which significantly influenced the equivalence of the translation.
 Conclusions. The degree of conformity of the psycho-cognitive reaction of target recipients to the original and the translation is determined not only by the type of mental activity of speakers of different languages, but also by a number of extralinguistic factors that determine the formation and state of activity of the verbal-associative network of representatives of different nations.

On the relation between visual quality and landscape characteristics: a case study application to the waterfront linear parks in Shenyang, China

In recent years, Chinese cities have begun to pay attention to their rivers, and a large number of waterfront linear parks have been built in the riverside areas, so that the public can easily enjoy their landscape and entertainment functions. In this study, the visual quality of the waterfront trails and the greenbelt trails in the Waterfront linear Park around the Hunhe river in Shenyang was evaluated the basis of the Scenic Beauty Estimation Method and Semantic Differential Method, and the principal components of the landscape characteristics were extracted and a regression model of the visual quality and the landscape characteristics was established. Results show that the natural feature and the formal feature have a positive influence on the visual quality in waterfront linear parks, and the man-made feature has a negative impact on the visual quality. The six landscape characteristics are Sense of seclusion, ecology, intactness, uniqueness, unity and vitality, which are the main factors which affect the visual quality. This study puts forward improvement measures for the waterfront trails and the greenbelt trails, and the results can be applied to the planning, construction, and management of waterfront linear parks.

Psychological and Physiological Responses to Different Views through a Window in Apartment Complexes

Background and objective With increasing land use intensity in urban areas, apartment buildings have been recognized as a typical type of urban residence. In this study, the impacts of different views through a window on health-related responses were investigated using psychological and physiological parameters. Methods Photos of three different types of views taken on low (2–12 m), middle (28–35 m), and high (over 54 m) floors of dense apartment building areas were used as visual stimuli. Twenty-two healthy adults participated in the indoor experiment. Semantic differential methods and profile of mood states were used as psychological tools. Autonomic nervous activity was evaluated using blood pressures, pulse rate and heart rate variability (HRV). Results Analytic data showed different characteristics of psychological and physiological outcomes in three different apartment views. In the analysis of psychological parameters, significantly negative responses to the views on middle floors were found in the subscales of tension-anxiety and anger-hostility, compared to low floors. Significantly positive scores in the subscale of vigor were found on low floors with abundance of vegetation and high floors with a view of the sky. A significantly increased value of HF was found on low floors (2,294.96 ± 169.79), compared to the middle(1,553.45 ± 84.66) and high (1,523.02 ± 70.49) floors. Despite the high scores in openness and vigor, high floor views showed significantly higher LF/HF values (1.83 ± 0.09), the indicator of the sympathetic nervous system, than low (1.30 ± 0.07) and middle floor views (1.34 ± 0.06), which might be related to the unconscious fear of heights. Conclusion Views from different heights in an apartment building can affect the psychological states of residents. Green space through the window may have a positive health outcome by reducing physiological stress.

KISAH KHOIRI

Covid-19 pandemic have quite significant impact on the Indonesia education especially for Early Chilhood Education (ECE). The Indonesian government made a new policy on education including encouraging online learning for students. This model which is strongly influenced by current technological trends as part of the 4.0 industrial revolution. For example: the using of sosial media channel in teaching learning activity. Based on design thinking process, this paper proposes a practical animation video “Kisah Khoiri” to suppoert teaching learning activity. This research used Design Thinking method through experiments and direct trials with data collected qualitatively through deep interviews with key community figures and direct observation of the sample community. The Semantic Differential method used to understand the response captured by users of the “Kisah Khoiri” animation video. This research is very important to help teachers to deliver the knowledge through animation video. Hopefully, this research can be used as a reference to published animation to support teaching learning activity relatively productive during the pandemic.

Psychosemantic interpretation of media space video advertising for brands (Mcdonald’s, Coca-Cola, Nestlé, Roshen)

The relevance of the research topic is due to the need to increase the evidence-based studies on enhancing the development effectiveness of audiovisual advertising message, which creates an urgent demand for further scholarly elaboration of such a complex phenomenon as psychosemantic analysis of video advertising. The purpose of the study is to identify opportunities to increase efficiency of audiovisual communication by conducting the psychosemantic study of the perception of video advertising of brands. The methodological basis of the study is a set of marketing, sociological and psychological methods. In particular, the focus group, survey, semantic differential and George Kelly's repertory grid methods were chosen to study the psychosemantic space of the target audience. Correspondingly, the qualitative results of psychosemantic influence of video advertising on consumer consciousness were achieved through mathematical calculations and graphic illustrations. The study presents the results of psychosemantic research of video commercials, which highlight the features of their psychosemantic perception by the consumer. The emphasis is placed on the fact that the previous experience, knowledge and personal values of target audience representatives have an impact on their perception of different types of video advertising of the brand within one advertising campaign. The recommendations for improving the efficiency of audiovisual communication have been developed.

How Character-Centric Game Icon Design Affects the Perception of Gameplay

Mobile games are developing rapidly as an important part of the national economy. Gameplay is an important attribute, and a game’s icon sometimes determines the user’s initial impression. Whether the user can accurately perceive gameplay and affective quality through the icon is particularly critical. In this article, a two-stage perceptual matching procedure is used to evaluate the perceptual quality of six categories of games whose icons include characters as elements. First, 60 highly visual matching icons were selected as second-stage objects through classification tasks. Second, through the semantic differential method and correlation analysis, highly visual matching icons’ affective matching quality was measured. Finally, a series of icon samples were determined, and element analysis was carried out. Several methods were proposed for improving the perceptual quality of game icons. Studying the perceptual matching relationship can better enhance the interaction between designers, developers, and users.

Management and Enhancement of Livable Urban Streetscape through the Development of the 3D Spatial Multimedia System

Maintaining the continuity of a valuable and livable visual experience is very important for the quality of urban streetscape planning and design. One of the impacts of the rapid development of urban streetscape is unsatisfying pedestrian space for spatial and visual comfort. In line with establishing good governance, it is necessary to evaluate the quality of urban visuals by involving community participation through online participation. The case study on the five provincial streets In Malang, Indonesia, has become a strategic route for the uncontrolled rapid growth of commercial districts alongside these streetscapes. This study promoted spatial multimedia development as a decision support system in the planning process as one of the recent developments in design planning activity by developing a multimedia 3D spatial system based on public preferences in the local community. A combination of three sequential stages was conducted, starting with investigating public preferences that produced spatial and visual comfort assessment through the Semantic Differential method and regression model analysis, followed by the 3D streetscape modeling ends with the development of a Spatial Multimedia System. This study resulted in several findings. The investigation of public preferences determined dominant variables and significant variables that affect the streetscape's spatial and visual comfort aspects. This outcome guided the development scenario of 3D modeling construction and 3D simulation of each streetscape and the development of a decision-making system in the 3D spatial multimedia system. This finding also revealed the significance of the leveling strategy of user interactive advancement in the system.

Autonomy of psychological space as a factor in school students' economic socialization

Introduction. Economic socialization of the individual during adolescence takes place in the form of their spontaneous inclusion in predominantly consumer relations, with adolescentsʼ stable economic behavior patterns being developed through their communication in peer groups (by means of exchange of personal belongings and services and spontaneous buying and selling). This is greatly influenced by the individual's ability to preserve the integrity and autonomy of their psychological space.Aim: to determine the impact of school students' psychological space organization on the development of their economic and psychological qualities.Methods: Retrospective Questionnaire of Monetary Mental Sets (M. Semenov), the semantic differential method to study students' attitudes to personal property and the ways of appropriating personal goods (N. Dembitska), Attitude to Money questionnaire (M. Semenov), Social Adaptability questionnaire (O. Posipanov), GET2test (modified by N. Dembitska), and S. Nartova-Bochaver Autonomy of Psychological Space questionnaire. The study involved 634 students aged 11 to 16 years.Results. Adolescents experienced the growing impact of moral factors on their methods of appropriation. As the autonomy of adolescents' psychological space increased, their tendency to self-knowledge and positive attitudes to their own ideas and knowledge strengthened, too. High school students were shown to be inclined for direct, and sometimes aggressive, assertion of their right to privacy in the space of their own things, values, and tastes.Conclusions. There are ontogenetic factors in school students’ economic socialization, with the latter having relationships with some aspects of school students’ psychological space autonomy.

Smart City and its Prototypes: social perceptions (outcomes of social analysis)

The term Smart City (digital city, cybercity, city of knowledge, eco-city) is being increasingly used in the social space and media since the beginning of the twenty-first century. The term implies the comprehensive activities of international organizations (UN, EU, UAE, etc.) and cities to transform the social environment of megacities. In the presence of a significant number of publications related to IT technologies, clarification of the meaning and content of the social characteristics of the new phenomenon requires further research. The pilot-study of the social perceptions of the term Smart City was implemented by means of a content analysis of scientific literature, direct and remote polling of citizens using a random sample method (459 respondents). The respondents on the basis of the semantic differential method (M. Rokeach) have assessed the image of a Smart City, as well as a number of other images associated with its understanding on 16 and 28 scale-scripts, specially developed questionnaires containing also C. Alderfer’s and M. L scher’s tests. The received answers were subjected to the procedure of factorial and correlation analysis separately in each group of respondents. When processing the research results, the SPSS program was used.

Self-reported body weight and weight-related stigmatization experiences among young adult women-two contexts, but similar attitudes related to body image, mental self-schemas, self-esteem, and stereotypes of people with obesity.

BackgroundWeight stigma is a serious challenge because of its negative impact on human health and harmful psychological and behavioral consequences. The aim of the study was to explore and compare the relationships between self-reported body weight and weight-related stigmatization experiences and body image, mental self-image, self-esteem, and stereotypes concerning people with obesity among young adult Polish women (N = 374; aged between 18 and 35).MethodsThe study was conducted online on a Polish sample recruited through a social network site, a website, and snowball sampling. Body mass index (BMI) was used to assign the respondents to groups with normal or excess weight. We tested whether women enrolled in the study experienced weight-related stigmatization using two questions based on the concepts of spoiled identity and related to the obesity stigma. The Contour Drawing Rating Scale was used to study different aspects of the body image and discrepancies between them. The Self-Discrepancy Questionnaire was used to study the self-schemas associated with mental qualities. The Polish version of the Rosenberg’s Self Esteem Scale was applied to determine self-esteem level. Stereotypes concerning people with obesity were studied using the semantic differential method.ResultsAlthough excess weight was associated with weight-related stigmatization experiences, many women reported confronting such stigmatization even though their body weight was normal according to the World Health Organization (WHO) standards. Women with excess weight and women with weight-related stigmatization experiences were characterized by larger discrepancies between the actual body image and the ideal, reflected, and ought body image, lower self-esteem, and more negative beliefs about their mental actual and reflected self compared to women with normal weight and without weight-related stigmatization experiences. The study participants from all groups tended to believe their actual body image to be ampler than the ideal and the ought body images. They also believed that other people perceived their mental qualities more positively than they did. The study groups were also characterized by negative stereotypes of people with obesity, although these stereotypes were more vital in women with excess weight and women who experienced weight-related stigmatization.ConclusionThe study shows the similarity between psychological functioning of women with self-reported excess weight and those who experience weight-related stigma. The results also provide guidelines for practical actions aimed at reducing negative mental outcomes associated with not conforming to body weight standards.

The model of psychological safety of a soldier's personality.

From 2014 to the present, Ukrainian military personnel have been fighting in Eastern Ukraine against illegal armed formations of separatists. The resulting combat stress negatively affects servicemen's mental health status. This study aimed to examine the factor structure of a scale to assess the psychological safety of a soldier's personality (PSSP), taking into account changes in the conditions of military service to improve the professional and psychological training of military personnel. The study involved 118 officers of the National Guard of Ukraine. The semantic differential method, expert judgment, and exploratory factor analysis were used to determine the factor structure of the PSSP. The PSSP model to maintain combat readiness in daily activities includes four components: "Moral and communicative", "Motivational and volitional", "Value and meaning of life" and "Inner comfort". For activities in extreme conditions (during combat deployment), the personality potential of four structural components is used: "Moral and volitional regulation", "Coping strategies", "Value and meaning of life" and "Post-traumatic growth/regression". The PSSP model consists of four components that have different content depending on the conditions for performance of professional tasks by military personnel. It is advisable to use the obtained results of the content of the PSSP model in the development of professional and psychological training programs for the purposeful formation of the resilience of military personnel, taking into account the conditions of their activities.

The Implementation and Evaluation of Individual Preference in Robot Facial Expression Based on Emotion Estimation Using Biological Signals.

Recently, robot services have been widely applied in many fields. To provide optimum service, it is essential to maintain good acceptance of the robot for more effective interaction with users. Previously, we attempted to implement facial expressions by synchronizing an estimated human emotion on the face of a robot. The results revealed that the robot could present different perceptions according to individual preferences. In this study, we considered individual differences to improve the acceptance of the robot by changing the robot’s expression according to the emotion of its interacting partner. The emotion was estimated using biological signals, and the robot changed its expression according to three conditions: synchronized with the estimated emotion, inversely synchronized, and a funny expression. During the experiment, the participants provided feedback regarding the robot’s expression by choosing whether they “like” or “dislike” the expression. We investigated individual differences in the acceptance of the robot expression using the Semantic Differential scale method. In addition, logistic regression was used to create a classification model by considering individual differences based on the biological data and feedback from each participant. We found that the robot expression based on inverse synchronization when the participants felt a negative emotion could result in impression differences among individuals. Then, the robot’s expression was determined based on the classification model, and the Semantic Differential scale on the impression of the robot was compared with the three conditions. Overall, we found that the participants were most accepting when the robot expression was calculated using the proposed personalized method.

To Act or Not to Act: Are Natural Landscapes a Key Force in the Resilience of Historic Urban Landscapes?

Ignoring the function of natural landscapes in the rapid development of urbanization, and especially in the conservation of historic urban landscapes, is still obvious today, and this has caused a large decrease in natural space, loss of habitats, and an increase in disasters. The resilience of a whole city and parts of it, such as historic urban areas where the historical process of man and nature have been recorded, as well as the interaction between nature, economy, and culture, is not strong enough to maintain the stability of urban ecosystems. It is misleading to think that the resilience can be built in a historic urban area without a natural landscape. We question whether this is true. Using a semantic differential analysis method from a historical perspective, this paper aims to answer this question through research on the correlation between resilience and man and nature through a case study of Yudai Trench historic urban landscape in Guangzhou, a historic urban area with 1000 years of history. A total of 212 pieces of evidence were extracted from 59 historical sources. The results showed that the cultural and economic conditions were in the same step and cycles as nature, which were influenced strongly by climate change, and that the natural landscape has a correlation on and is a dominant force in the resilience of historic urban landscapes.

Comparative study of the physiological and psychological effects of forest and urban auditory stimulus on humans

Demand for parks and green space for physical and mental relaxation has increased dramatically during and after the COVID−19 Pandemic in many countries. In order to understand nature and forest experience with human health, we conducted multi-disciplinary research to examine if different auditory stimuli will cause the change of healthy people's physiological and psychological effects, especially under typical forest therapy activity---focused-attention meditation (FAM). In this study, we recorded the data of heart rate, blood pressure as well as brainwave activities as physiological indices. We used a modified Semantic Differential Method (SD) to investigate participants' subjective feelings on different sound stimuli. A significant increase in heart rate was found during meditation under a street sound auditory background. The theta band power reduced significantly compared to that under other sound stimulation. The highest feeling scores on the level of comfort, relaxation, and nature showed with the presence of a natural sound environment. In conclusion, the natural sound background of the forest can make people more relax physically and psychologically during meditation.

Evaluating Stress Relief from Architecture: A Case Study Based on Buildings in Taiwan, China and Japan

The urban landscape can be improved to reduce the stress experienced by citizens. Therefore, stress-relieving buildings constitute a crucial topic and a future trend in architecture and design. In this study, different architectural styles were investigated to explore design methods for and characteristics of stress-relieving building shapes and to identify indicators for measuring participant stress relief while viewing buildings. To understand stress relief from architecture, we performed semi-structured interviews with 60 participants who viewed images of 30 buildings. The semantic differential method with a 7-point image scale was used to rate stress relief from different architectural styles. The study results revealed that the participants perceived curvilinear buildings as interesting but do not relieve stress. The participants identified as feeling high pressure considering rectilinear patterns to relieve more stress. To support this observation, we identified three principles—city image, identity, and spiritual atmosphere—as fundamental loci of designing cities for livability. We illustrate the three principles with several cases that facilitate a detailed understanding of their applicability in biodesign practices.