Thermal Sensation Scale Research Articles

Outdoor thermal sensation scale through biometeorological assessment for semi-arid climate.

Extreme temperatures in urban areas cause discomfort leading to a rise in health risks, like heat-related mortality (hyperthermia). It is, hence, important to have a comfortable thermal environment. Assessing outdoor thermal comfort is challenging and complicated due to its dependencies on biometeorological and psychological factors. This study investigates the outdoor thermal comfort in Ahmedabad, a city with semi-arid climate in India through biometeorological measurements and thermal comfort surveys. The study carried out thermal comfort surveys of 1620 subjects spread across the city in 2022-23 covering all the seasons. The temperature and relative humidity were in the range of 21.6°C to 44.9°C and 8 to 86% respectively. About 43% of the subjects felt thermally comfortable during the survey. Based on the survey results, the annual neutral Physiological Equivalent Temperature (PET) obtained was 27.5°C, and the comfortable PET range was between 21.1°C and 33.9°C which covers a wide range. Neutral PET for summer and winter seasons obtained were similar, which indicates winters are getting milder and people of Ahmedabad are getting more adaptive towards warmer temperature. These results hold special significance as there is limited research on outdoor thermal comfort in such climate zone of India.

A behavioural analysis of outdoor thermal comfort in a hot, arid climate: a culture and gender equality perspective

This study investigated how gender influences subjective comfort perceptions and behavioural adaptations, to establish the limits of the thermal sensation scale for males and females in the hot, arid climate of Al Ain, in the UAE. It is the first of its kind in the Gulf Cooperation Countries. Two locations on a university campus, reflecting cultural traditions, were compared. Data collected through interviews, observations, and measurements showed that males and females have different thermal comfort ranges (22.1–33.4°C PET for males, 21.2–32.7°C for females). Factors like perceived control over exposure to discomfort influenced thermal sensation. The study suggests urban planning should consider gender equality to improve outdoor thermal comfort and encourage the use of open spaces, indicating socio-economic influences on thermal adaptation in the region.

An integrated thermal sensation scale for estimating thermal strain in water

Acceptable definitions of thermal sensation for cold and hot water immersion do not exist. The use of subjective thermal sensation scales remains unsolved with broad psycho-physiological, and semantic implications. We hypothesize that perception of thermal sensation could be a valid and reliable indicator for thermal strain during exposure in water. We aimed to provide a theoretical background for behavioral thermoregulation and neurocognition to support an integrated thermal sensation scale for estimation of thermal load during head-out water immersion. This research used a mixed methods approach. Domains were identified and items were measured for thermal load to examine the content validity. Thereafter, we formed an integrated scale based on standard 10,551 of International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Finally, we conducted a pilot study for the face validation of the scale based on a 30 min head-out water immersion at 26 °C in healthy adults (females, n = 4; males, n = 4; age: 22.6 ± 8.0 years; body mass, 67.7 ± 9.5 kg; height, 169.0 ± 5.6 cm). We identified three aspects (environment, physiological and behavioral thermoregulation) and a total of 18 items, of whom eight items (water temperature, immersion duration, core temperature, skin temperature, body heat storage, shivering, thermal sensation, and thermal comfort) were acceptable based on terms of scale-level content validity index (S-CVI = 92 %). Conditions incorporated into our scale included: icy < 12 °C, cold 12–24 °C, cool 24–29 °C, neutral 29–38 °C, warm 38–43 °C, and hot > 43 °C. We found excellent face validity based on a reported homogenous cool feeling and physiological thermoregulatory responses. Our study revealed our model could reasonably characterize body thermal load though whole-body thermal sensation based on well-established thermoregulatory mechanisms during water immersion. Further research is needed to validate the accuracy of our behavioral model in a variety of water temperatures and in a larger sample size.

The Bottle House: Upcycling Plastic Bottles to Improve the Thermal Performance of Low-Cost Homes

Due to the effects of climate change, diminishing natural resources, and continuous urbanization, there is an increasing need for buildings to be more sustainable. This study explores the potential of upcycling plastic waste for the sustainable construction of low-cost homes in developing countries and contributes to filling the gap in existing studies regarding qualitative results of the in situ performance of buildings made from upcycled materials. This study compares the Bottle house with conventional buildings made of mud and cement. This study seeks to encourage the adoption of the bottle house concept for affordable housing by conducting a thermal comfort survey of its occupants. To obtain the thermal sensation vote (TSV) of the occupants, thermal comfort questionnaires were developed based on the seven-point ASHRAE thermal sensation scale. Additionally, a Testo 480 multifunction meter, which comprised an anemometer, radiant globe thermometer, air thermometer, and relative humidity probe, was used to calculate the predicted mean vote (PMV) concurrently. From the results of the TSV, mean votes of the participants of −2.0, 2.0, and 2.4 were observed for the bottle house, mud houses, and cement houses, respectively. In comparison, adjusted PMV mean values of 1.9, 2.1 and 2.1 were recorded for the bottle house, mud houses, and cement houses, respectively. The TSV and PMV results both indicate that the occupants of the bottle house felt more thermally comfortable when compared to occupants in the other dwellings. This can be attributed to the measures incorporated during the construction of the bottle house. Furthermore, the use of a simulation study helped proffer solutions to further improve the indoor temperatures of the buildings used in this study. The results of this paper will provide evidence of the prospects of upcycling plastic waste for construction and its impact on occupant’s thermal comfort when compared to conventional building materials.

Assessing and enhancing the applicability of standard effective temperature in outdoor thermal sensation prediction for continental climates

Accurate thermal sensation prediction is crucial for assessing outdoor thermal environments. This study aims to enhance the applicability of the standard effective temperature (SET*) in continental climates for a more comprehensive evaluation of outdoor thermal comfort. Taking Zhengzhou, China as an exemplar, a comprehensive 12-day survey involving questionnaire surveys and microclimatic measurements was conducted in residential communities during the summer, autumn, and winter seasons. Based on this, the relationship between the SET* and thermal sensation was explored. Furthermore, the SET*-original thermal sensation scale was modified using linear and probit regression, and the accuracy of modified scale was assessed using predicted accuracy percentage (PAP) and mean absolute error (MAE). The results indicated that the SET*-original scale performs poorly in predicting thermal sensation in continental climates (P = 27.3 %, MAE = 1.24). The modified scale using probit regression model was better suited for continental climates (P = 39.5 %, MAE = 0.87). It outperformed the modified scale obtained through a linear regression model, with PAP increasing by 5.9 % and MAE decreasing by 0.04. The SET*-modified scale extended thresholds at the colder end and significantly enhanced predictive accuracy for colder conditions, making it more suitable for predicting thermal perception in continental climates.

Thermal Performance Evaluation of Vernacular Houses: A Case of Himachal Pradesh

Vernacular buildings are well known for their climate-responsive and sustainable behavior. Solar Passive approaches used in them enhance the thermal performance of the interiors. The entire functionality of an interior space is influenced by the thermal comfort of those working in the built area. The current study emphasizes the evaluation of the thermal performance of the old slate-roofed mud houses in the hilly regions of Himachal Pradesh. The field study entails measuring environmental parameters on 35 houses in each of the state’s sub-humid mid-hills and Wet temperate high hills. The study undertakes both qualitative and quantitative aspects of thermal comfort through a questionnaire-based survey and interrelates them. The thermal analysis examined indoor outdoor temperature, humidity, and wind speed for the two months of January and April 2022, representing the two major seasons in the area: winter and spring. The study also included the resident’s votes on the ASHRAE thermal sensation scale. The study establishes a stronger dependence of thermal sensation votes on temperature and humidity as compared to wind velocity. A range of 16°C to 19°C and 14.76 °C to 22.1°C was established as thermal comfort ranges for zone 1 and zone 2 respectively. The study further determines the neutral temperatures for the zones and concludes that these traditional houses function admirably over the state’s harsh winter months, and the majority of residents are contented and satisfied in a wider range of temperatures.

Potential use of an extended-distance thermal imaging camera for the assessment of thermal comfort in multi-occupant spaces

Thermographic cameras integrated with artificial intelligence (AI) models have recently become widespread to assess thermal comfort via extracted facial skin temperature. The study aimed to examine the potential use of camera-extracted facial skin temperature to predict thermal sensation for a group of people. To deal with the limitations of previous works, this study extended the camera-subject distance, enabling the detection of multiple faces facing different orientations. Thermal sensation and thermographic data were collected from 32 subjects under transient conditions, where the air temperature gradually changed between 21 °C and 29 °C. The relationship between their subjective votes and extracted skin temperatures across five facial regions and the whole face was analyzed. Using analysis of variance, results showed that the facial skin temperatures at each sensation scale were significant differences and provided a good prediction for the 3-point thermal sensation scale. The right cheek temperature was the most potential predictor of human thermal sensation, while the forehead temperature was less accurate due to noise interference. The proposed method is cost-effective and acceptably assesses thermal comfort for multi-occupant spaces.

Human thermoregulatory model for simulating thermal response in high-temperature and hypobaric environments

The main function of the human thermoregulation system is to maintain the stability of body temperature. When fighters and helicopters are performing high-altitude combat tasks, pilots are often exposed to hypobaric conditions and high-temperature environments, causing thermal discomfort and a reduction of physical and mental abilities. This research starts with the improvement of the previous thermoregulatory model for the human body by revising the convective and evaporative parameters of the environment, and the metabolic parameters of thermoregulation in hypobaric conditions. Then thermal physiology experiments were carried out on the ground and at 4000 m altitude. The sweating volume, local skin temperature, and subjective thermal sensation scales were measured to explore the human thermal regulation mechanism and validate the accuracy of simulation results. For comparison of simulation and experiments, the average skin temperature errors are 0.37 °C and 0.24 °C, and the relative errors of the sweating volume are 9 % and 8 % in the atmospheric and hypobaric environments, respectively. The results indicate that the improved thermoregulatory model for simulating thermal response could realize accurate predictions in high-temperature atmospheric and hypobaric environments.

Adaptive thermal comfort in the offices of three climates of North-East India

Buildings not only provide shelter to the occupants but also security, safety and comfort, as well as signifying economic and socio-cultural status. The high energy intensity of buildings has become a matter of concern worldwide in the context of climate change and global warming. Adaptive comfort principles and guidelines afford greater design opportunities for reduced energy intensity without compromising occupant thermal comfort and indoor environmental quality performance. However, thermal adaptation opportunities of office occupants in the North-Eastern part of India are rarely addressed by previous thermal comfort studies conducted in the Indian subcontinent. A yearlong questionnaire-based adaptive thermal comfort study with concurrent indoor environmental measurements was conducted in naturally ventilated office buildings located in three locations, i.e., Tezpur, Imphal and Shillong, representing the climatic zones of North-East India. A total of 2326 valid questionnaire responses were collected. ASHRAE Class-II field study protocols, seven-point thermal sensation and five-point preference scales were used to collect objective and subjective comfort assessments. It was found that the clothing insulation (clo) levels worn by occupants varied non-linearly with indoor temperatures. The estimated preferred temperatures for building occupants in Tezpur, Imphal and Shillong were 24 °C, 23.5 °C and 22 °C, respectively. Probit analysis of thermal sensation data indicated that the indoor temperature stimulus associated with a shift of one thermal sensation unit differed between the warm and cool side of the 7-point thermal sensation scale. Increasing indoor air velocity up to 0.8m/s shifted the upper threshold of discomfort to 32 °C. It was also found that 80% of office occupants were comfortable within the temperature range of 25 °C–30 °C. The adaptive comfort model derived from the current database shows lower sensitivity of subjects to outdoor temperature changes compared to existing International standards like ASHRAE Standard 55 or EN16798. The present study demonstrates the potential for low-energy, naturally ventilated office design strategies in similar climatic conditions in North-East India and other parts of the world. Above all, it enriches the worldwide thermal comfort database.

Study on adaptive thermal comfort model and behavioral adaptation in naturally ventilated residential buildings, Jimma Town, Ethiopia

Ethiopia boasts abundant untapped energy resources, yet access to electricity remains limited (30%), with frequent and prolonged outages. Research on occupant thermal comfort in Ethiopia remains limited as well. This study aimed to investigate comfort temperature, adaptive models, and behavioral adaptations in naturally ventilated residential buildings in Jimma town, Ethiopia. Our thermal comfort field survey involved 870 occupants from 104 houses, generating 5220 datasets between February and September 2020. Indoor environments were simultaneously measured using handheld digital instruments. Notably, the subjects lacked electrical fans, space heaters, or air-conditioners, relying instead on charcoal and plant residue for cooking and heating.Overall, only 56.2% of subjects felt comfortable within the thermal sensation scale's defined band, while 70.9% preferred either warmer or cooler environments, and 63.4% accepted their environments. The mean comfort temperature was 23.3˚C ± 3.44 based on all data. Our adaptive model predicted a 1.82 K perturbation in outdoor running mean temperature, resulting in a unit change in indoor comfort temperature. Significant occupant behavioral adaptation through operable environmental controls, clothing choices, and activity levels was observed. Our model is essential for building simulation in Ethiopia, emphasizing the need for an Ethiopian adaptive standard. Given the limited modern energy sources, understanding low-energy thermal comfort and human adaptation becomes vital for sustainable living conditions.

The COMFA model for assessing courtyard thermal comfort in hot and humid regions: A comparative study with existing models

The present study introduces the development of the COMFAcourtyard model, which combines the strengths of COMFA, PET and SET* to create a reliable, practical and scientifically validated outdoor thermal comfort index for courtyards in hot and humid regions. To validate the model, four elements were implemented: validation in a real scenario (two classical courtyards in central Guangdong, China), comparison with relevant models (PET, SET*, UTCI, WBGT and COMFA), sensitivity analysis and statistical quantification of performance. Results show that COMFAcourtyard outperforms other models in terms of accuracy, interpretability and computational speed, with an R2 of 0.78 for linear regression and the ability to output intuitive and physically meaningful heat flow values. In terms of computational efficiency, COMFAcourtyard is approximately 1.5 times faster than COMFA and is two orders of magnitude faster than PET and SET*. In this study, a deeper understanding of the mechanisms of human thermal comfort is attained and the accuracy, interpretability and computational speed of the newly developed COMFAcourtyard model and previous models are systematically evaluated. The study also establishes a theoretical foundation for the thermal sensation scale and comfort thresholds in humid and hot courtyard environments. These efforts advance the design of climate-resilient outdoor environments and contribute to providing thermal security for individuals in the context of climate change.

Ergonomic evaluation of thermal comfort for different outlet distribution patterns and ventilation conditions in the pilot protective helmet

Ergonomic evaluation of thermal comfort is critical for heat stress alleviation systems in the pilot protective helmet, which is few investigated by existing approaches. In this study, CFD simulation under three ventilation pressure differences (60, 160, 260 Pa) and 4 outlet distribution patterns (ODP) was performed. Participants (n = 10) wearing the pilot protective helmet with a ventilation system were exposed to a constant thermal environment, while head skin temperature, subjective thermal sensation and comfort scales and relative humidity were measured. In simulation, head skin temperature changed oppositely to ventilation air pressure differences and increased due to the electronic module. Mean and maximum head skin temperatures were lower under ODP B and D. In experiments, head skin temperature was significantly lower after ventilation of 4 ODPs, while ODP B served optimal cooling effect. This study adds to the existing literature on head thermal comfort evaluation by extending the testing parameters and improving the testing accuracy.

Analysis of subjective thermal comfort data: A statistical point of view

Thermal comfort research aims to determine the relationship between the thermal environment and the human sense of warmth. This is usually achieved by measuring the subjective human thermal response to different thermal environments. However, it is common practice to use simple linear regression to analyse data collected using ordinal scales. This practice may lead to severe errors in inference. This study first set the methodological foundations to analyse subjective thermal comfort data from a statistical perspective. Subsequently, we show the practical consequences of fallacious assumptions by utilising a Bayesian approach and show, through an illustrative example, that a linear regression model applied to ordinal data suggests results different from those obtained using ordinal regression. Specifically, linear regression found no difference in means and effect size between genders, while the ordinal regression model led to the opposite conclusion. In addition, the linear regression model distorts the estimated regression coefficient for air temperature compared to the ordinal model. Finally, the ordinal model shows that the distance between adjacent response categories of the ASHRAE 7-point thermal sensation scale is not equidistant. Given the abovementioned issues, we advocate utilising ordinal models instead of metric models to analyse ordinal data.

Characteristics of thermal comfort in the offices of North-East India

In the context of climate change and global warming, the nexus between energy and buildings is self-explanatory. As per the ministry of statistics and program implementation, Govt. of India data, the primary energy consumption in the building sector is 37% of total primary energy consumption and about 24% to total CO2 emissions. It is evident from the research that thermal comfort, energy efficiency in buildings and sustainable architecture are interlinked and interdependent. The present study is carried out in the Naturally ventilated offices of North-East India at three representative locations i.e., Tezpur, Imphal and Shillong, from warm and humid, Cool and humid and Cold and cloudy climates, respectively. Year-long thermal comfort surveys were carried out in 81 naturally ventilated office buildings, collecting 2326 samples spread over three locations from July 2016 to June 2017. Data analysis shows that neutral temperature through regression analysis is 26.4°C, 24.7°C, and 23.4°C for Tezpur, Imphal and Shillong, respectively. Preferred temperature and relative humidity in Tezpur, Imphal and Shillong offices are 24°C, 23.5 °C and 22 °C and 55%, 55% and 63%, respectively. Probit analysis showed that occupants are more adaptive toward the warmer side of the thermal sensation scale.

Study of the thermal comfort and the energy required to achieve it for housing modules in the environment of a high Andean rural area in Peru

This study mainly evaluates and analyzes the thermal comfort of the young inhabitants of Imata, a high Andean rural village located at 4500 m of altitude in southern Peru. Acceptable thermal comfort ranges are defined for the villagers, from face-to-face surveys and with a device implemented for this study, which allows recording the temperature, relative humidity, clothing, and the thermal sensation vote TSV (considering a five-point thermal sensation scale). The comfort ranges are determined from the mean and standard deviation of each set of TSV values. Four thermal comfort zones are proposed, which are plotted on the psychrometric chart. Further, two experimental housing modules (M1 and M2) are analyzed, which were built in Imata with passive solar heating strategies. The simulation of both modules with m2m software allows determining the indoor temperatures for the year 2019 and the comfort schedules inside the modules by considering the comfort ranges established in this study. Finally, the energy required to achieve thermal comfort inside M1 and M2 is estimated using the simplified method of the ISO 13790 Standard.

Determination of thermal comfort among nurses working with personal protective equipment in COVID-19 clinics.

This study aimed to determine thermal comfort among nurses working with personal protective equipment in COVID-19 clinic. In this study, a descriptive design was carried out between June and September 2020. Sample of the study consisted of 246 nurses (77.6%) who worked in the COVID-19 clinics with personal protective equipment. We used a questionnaire to determine thermal comfort of nurses; a follow-up form to determine the factors affecting thermal comfort; and the ASHRAE Thermal Sensation Scale. Four measurements and follow-ups were made three times. More than half of nurses complained of ambient temperature and ventilation, one-third complained of humidity and nearly half complained of poor air quality. The mean thermal comfort score of nurses working in COVID-19 clinics was 1.19 (SD = 0.75). The thermal comfort of the nurses was negatively affected in all measurements except before wearing personal protective equipment. The highest scores were measured leaving the patient room and before removing personal protective equipment (M = 2.65, SD = 0.58). The thermal comfort, work performance and stress levels of the nurses were negatively affected by working with personal protective equipment. This study reveals the necessity of improving the working conditions of nurses, including working hours, environment and personal protective equipment.

Investigation of Indoor Air Quality and Thermal Comfort of a College Building in Hyderabad, India

The aim of this present study is to investigate the indoor air quality (IAQ) and thermal comfort (TC) of the class and faculty rooms at a college in Hyderabad, India. The concentrations of air pollution at class and faculty rooms available across four floors were determined with the help of indoor air quality monitoring equipment. The measurements were conducted continuously in the indoor and outdoor environment for 07 months with the variation in two different seasons such as monsoon and winter. The collected data were analyzed and compared with the Indian green building code (IGBC). Different parameters such as temperature, carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon mono-oxide (CO), oxygen (O2), total volatile organic compounds (TVOC), and particulate matter (PM 2.5 & 10) were analyzed.The mean concentrations of PM 2.5 in all four floors were slightly above the IGBC standards in monsoon seasons and higher in winter seasons. Indoor PM 10 was higher as per IGBC in the winter season as compared with that in monsoon season. TVOC, CO, and CO2 showed significantly higher in class and faculty rooms of all the four floors in both seasons. The predicted mean vote (PMV) index shows a significantly cold when compared with the thermal sensation scale which can accelerate the respiratory tract infectious diseases. Each floor shows different concentration levels of all the above-mentioned IAQ parameters.A questionnaire was developed, and a survey was conducted to analyze the comfort indices and responsible conditions for dissatisfactory factors. The results obtained from the daily monitoring parameters were compared with the survey questionnaire. The inferences were developed based on the PM 2.5 & 10 and CO2 concentration levels. Based on the obtained inferences and as per the IGBC standards specific suggestions were given to alter the building physiology.

Evaluation of the accuracy of PMV and its several revised models using the Chinese thermal comfort Database

The predicted mean vote (PMV) and its several revised models are widely used for the prediction of thermal comfort. This study aims to assess their performances using the Chinese Thermal Comfort Database (N = 41977). In air-conditioned buildings, the PMV prediction accuracy (P) and the mean absolute error (MAE) are 41.2 % and 0.86, respectively, which is better than the performance in free-running buildings (P = 31.9 %, MAE = 1.09). The performance of the PMV model is also tested under different HVAC modes, climate zones, and building types. The prediction accuracy varies but does not exceed 60 % for all subset cases. Three typical revised models (ePMV, nPMV and aPMV) considering thermal adaptation show better accuracy than the PMV, but the improvements are still limited and do not exceed 5 %. It appears that the PMV and revised models are reliable under thermal neutrality conditions, while their accuracy decreased towards the ends of the thermal sensation scale, especially on the cooler side. For further improvement of the prediction performance, it may be necessary to consider the effect of thermal adaptation in parallel with other approaches, such as revising the PMV core structure and considering individual differences.

Primary Exploration of Leisure Path Design along Songhua River by a Small Number of Sample Experiment, Considering Several Multiple Indexes

The waterfront park in northern China always has two parallel leisure pathways, a sunshine pathway and a tree-shaded pathway, which is attributed to the seasonal variations in water level. To provide some design suggestions according to the local characteristics of the waterfront park in northern China, this study selected six young volunteers to take part in an outdoor field experiment and a questionnaire survey in Stalin Park of Songhua River in Harbin, China. During the experiment, the volunteers’ local skin temperature and core temperature were recorded, with their subjective responses recorded every 5 min, including thermal comfort, thermal sensation, thermal pleasure, and fatigue scale vote. This study found that, compared with the sunshine pathway, the tree-shaded pathway not only optimized people’s outdoor thermal comfort and thermal pleasure, but also improved their fatigue scale vote experience. Some evidence showed that people’s subjective response to the outdoor thermal environment might be influenced by physical factors (temperature, velocity, humidity, radiation, etc.) and may also be influenced by the surrounding landscape view (water, square, lawn, tree, etc.). The first piece of evidence is that, during the first 10 min, people’s thermal sensation in the sunshine pathway group was high, but they kept voting for high thermal comfort, which may be due to the influence of the waterfront view on people’s subjective response to thermal comfort. The second piece of evidence shows that people’s overall thermal sensation was calculated by their local thermal sensation, looking at former research, with the voting results very different to the calculated results, which could be attributed to the influence of diversity landscape elements on people’s subjective response to thermal sensation. Based on these results, some suggestions for the leisure pathway design along Stalin Park of Songhua River in Harbin, China, were given. The shaded device of the sunshine pathway should be designed in 15-min-walk intervals and accessible ways to the tree-shaded pathway should be added. The other facilities should be designed with 30 min walking distance on the tree-shaded pathway and 20 min walking distance to the sunshine pathway. Diversified landscapes should be designed for both the tree-shaded pathway and sunshine pathway, which could improve people’s outdoor thermal comfort and the general subjective response to the environment. It is worth noting that the sample size of this study was small (6), and the participants were all homogenous young people (age, height, weight); thus, this study could be considered a preliminary work and the results and applicability have limitations.

Semantic discrepancies between Korean and English versions of the ASHRAE sensation scale

The seven-point thermal sensation scale provides a consistent measurement protocol widely applied in both field studies and lab experiments. Whilst thermal comfort studies have been carried out in diverse languages and cultures across the globe, there are suspicions among the research community whether the scale carries the same meaning when translated into different languages. This paper explores the question of semantics on the 7-point thermal sensation scale, focusing on identifying and quantifying linguistic bias introduced to the translation. Empirical data from multiple thermal comfort field survey campaigns administered in the Korean language are analysed and compared against reference data collected using the original English version of the ASHRAE scale (a subset of ASHRAE Global Thermal Comfort Database II from English-speaking countries). The analysis is focused on the question of whether survey respondents' interpretation of the scale systematically diverge from the assumptions underlying the original English version: i.e. (1) central three categories of the 7-point sensation scale being regarded as expressions of acceptable thermal comfort; (2) comfort being symmetrical around the optimum ‘neutral’ point; and (3) the widths of scale categories being consistent. Our analysis indicates that when translated into Korean the scale's semantics diverge significantly from the original English version. The implications of this discovery for previously published findings based on translated scales are also discussed. The paper calls for a more systematic investigation into linguistic dimensions of the scale to support a consistent and standardised guideline for the translation of thermal sensation scales from which compatible multilingual databases of thermal comfort can be developed.