Research on a quantificational method for chromatic-light emotions of architectural wall coatings in landscape illumination

Abstract

Research on quantificational methods for chromatic-light emotion is an effective way of finding out the laws of light cognitive impact and the solution to the problem on application of light color in landscape lighting. This paper took chromatic-light-induced-emotion towards architectural wall coatings in landscape as the research object. The methods in use were real-state simulation and laboratory quantitative study. Consequently, the study successfully extracted light emotional factors and the rule of predictability to assist landscape light professionals.

Keywords

landscape illumination / architectural wall coatings / chromatic-light emotion / quantitative research

Introduction

In the last century, color has become one of the top concerns for the international academic community because of its function of emotional evocation and as the determining role in people’s preference. It was not until Spearman [1] created the factor analysis in 1904 and Osgood [2] created the semantic differential (SD) method in 1957 that color emotion research entered the quantitative and more scientific phase. From 2002 to 2006, Sato et al. [3], Ou et al. [4,5], Gao et al. [6] and others separately carried out research on small angle color emotion experiments. They obtained detailed quantification relations between color attribute and the color emotion target. In order to apply the theory into design as well as manufacture such easily, color-induced-emotion quantitative research and quantitative achievement direct-viewing transformation have become current research trends.

Along with the development and application of new technology and new light sources (e.g., LED), the colored light available in landscape illumination is getting richer and richer. However, due to the lack of basic research on the rules of chromatic-light emotion cognition, there is a considerable randomness about landscape illumination applications in China. Quantitative research on chromatic-light emotion is an effective way to solve the problem [7].

This study takes the chromatic light of architectural wall coatings in landscape illumination as the research object, and uses an experimental psychological method to do quantitative measurement and parameterized analysis on the emotions that are triggered by the colored light. In addition, this study is aimed to find out people's awareness on the law of chromatic light of wall coatings through statistical analysis, and get a basic estimation of the relationship between chromatic light and emotion. This will eventually lead to the expansion of chromatic light research into real-life landscape illumination.

1) The simulation research—a laboratory imitation through the investigation and study of selecting the outer wall coating of the model construction;

2) Laboratory quantitative research on chromatic-light-induced-emotion

Research and statistical collection on the commonly-used architectural artificial lighting sources (including new lighting sources) and the typical projection lighting methods, as well as the calibration under laboratory conditions.

Semantic difference (SD) method: designing the evaluation survey on chromatic-light emotion regarding architecture landscape illumination on the coating wall surface;

Quantitative research on the chromatic-light emotion of architectural wall coatings in landscape illumination.

3) The processing and analysis of data in the experiment—using factor analysis, variance analysis and data fitting methods, etc. to verify the results.

Real condition simulation reappearance research

1) Based on Tianjin urban color planning and related research, there are five colors which are commonly used on architectural wall coatings—white, modern ash, brick dust, bright red and the brick red (Fig. 1).

2) Statistics on commonly-used lighting in landscape lamps and lanterns, sources, the lighting system and illuminance standard (Tables 1 and 2).

Quantitative experiment on the emotive chromatic light

Experimental environment

The chromatic light quantity reappearance experiment was performed in the multi-laboratory of light color measurement and subjective appraisal in the Architectural Institute of Technology of the School of Architecture of Tianjin University. There were 25 college students from the architecture department selected to be the subjects of the experiment. Before the experiment was started, the students were requested to go through the Ishihara Color Blindness Test, which aims to guarantee that they have the normal sense of color.

Selection of subjective appraisal scale

Quantitative assessment of chromatic light and emotion is actually one of the psychological assessments. Therefore, this research was conducted by applying the SD method, which is one of the most popular approaches in investigating the relation between color and emotion as well as color preference.

In order to compare the results with previous researches and to expand on chromatic light preference studies, 18 graduate students who were from the architecture department and majored in lighting and color were chosen to screen out 15 pairs of words which were based on subjective appraisal literature [7].

The colored light environment’s words and expressions of emotion after the screening description were: animated-quiet, exciting-calm, active-respectful, warm-cold, dynamic-undynamic, elegant-vulgar, beautiful-ugly, like-dislike, romantic-realistic, pleasant-unpleasant, usual-unusual, tense-relaxed, healthy-unhealthy, bright-dark, modern-classic.

Experimental procedure

Five color plates were displayed randomly in front of the laboratory and stimulated by metal halide lamps, high pressure sodium lamps, and LED projects. This led to the formation of 15 different types of color.

Students did the observation by sitting about 1 to 6€m away from the color samples and observing from about 20 degrees. They were requested to finish the description and assessment of one particular stimulated color within one minute, using those 15 pairs of words and five levels of semantic difference method, and then moved to the next one in the same manner. Twenty-five students carried out the experiment simultaneously.

Before the experiment was started, all the subjects were given time to become familiar with the environment. After relaxation, all the subjects were provided with instructions on both the purpose of the experiment and the procedure. Two practice experiments were given after all the subjects understood all the methods and procedures in order to enhance direct understanding of the experiment by the subjects. The formal experiment then started [1]. The procedure is showed in Fig. 2.

Experimental data processing and analysis

There were 5625 records available as a result of the previous stage. These data were initially analysed in terms of their reliability through SPSS (Statistical Product and Service Solutions) (Table 3) .

According to table 3, the Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient of reliability of the 15 colors is 0.898. This proved that the chromatic-light-induced-emotion appraisal scale used was internally consistent and reliable.

1) Multi-factor variance analysis

According to Table 4, gender does not have remarkable influence on the description of chromatic light and emotion. The results confirmed the conclusions of the first literature. Moreover, they also demonstrated the sound uniformity of the research group.

2) Processing the data collected from the experiment with factorial analysis, the rules of predictability and the qualitative synthetic evaluation can be thereby drawn out. (Table 5, Fig. 3)

A: Rules of chromatic light prediction:

1) Color sample white (Table 6): overall, to ignite the “animated”, “exciting”, “warm”, “active”, and “dynamic” emotion to the architectural landscape lighting with the white color samples, the metal halide lamp, LED, and high-pressure sodium lighting were suitable choices.

However, the scores had negative values for the golden halogen lamp bank in factor 4 and the high-pressured sodium lamp in factor 2, and the LED combination in each factor's score was basically positive. Therefore, it can be concluded that the LED group was better than the golden halogen lamp group and the high-pressured sodium lamp group in terms of leading to positive emotion (such as: “warm”, “excited” and “active”, etc.).

2) Color sample bright-red (Table 7): to initiate the “animated", " exciting", "warm", "active", and "dynamic" emotion towards the architectural landscape lighting with the color sample bright-red, the combination of bright-red with a metal halide lamp, LED, and high-pressure sodium lighting were suitable choices.

The fact that scores in factor 4 were all negative illustrates that these three combinations can all cause “dark” and “modern” chromatic light emotion. At the mean time, the LED combination is better than the other two groups in terms of leading to positive emotion (such as: “warm”, “excited” and “active”, etc.).

3) Color sample brick-red (Table 8): compared to the other two, the high-pressured sodium lamp more easily causes “animated”, “exciting”, “warm”, “active”, and “dynamic” emotions towards the architectural landscape lighting. In factors 2 and 3, the golden halogen lamp group more easily brings about the positive emotions such as “elegant”, “beautiful”, “pleasant”, “romantic”, “easy”, “daily”, “relaxed” and “healthy”. In factor 4, the LED more easily induces the emotions of “bright” and “traditional”.

4) Color sample bright-grey (Table 9): the main emotions that the three combinations cause are “quiet”, “respective”, “cold” and “undynamic”. The scores for the LED group and the golden halogen lamp group are positive in “appraisive target” and the emotional responses are “elegant”, “pleasant”, “romantic”, and “relaxed”. Therefore, in order to have a pleasant environment, the LED group and the golden halogen lamp group are better choices.

5) Color sample brick-grey (Table 10): in order to have an environment that is “animated”, “exciting”, “warm”, “active”, “dynamic”, “elegant”, “relaxed”, “daily”, “healthy”, and “bright”, with positive scores in factors 1 to 3, the LED group is a better choice. If a special requirement is given in factor 4, the golden halogen lamp group more easily causes the emotions of “bright” and “tradition”.

B. comprehensive evaluation formula of chromatic light emotion:

(1)F=\mathrm{0.42}{F}_{\mathrm{1}}+\mathrm{0.15}{F}_{\mathrm{2}}+\mathrm{0.07}{F}_{\mathrm{3}}+\mathrm{0.06}{F}_{\mathrm{4}}

According to the above equation, colored light stimulation could be calculated in the four shade factor scores on the weight value. Then the emotional tendency toward the chromatic light combination can be initially judged by its positive or negative value.

If the colored light combination score (the shade combined score) is positive, this demonstrates that the trend of Shade-induced emotions points to positive feelings such as lively, warm, vibrant, elegant, beautiful, and comfortable. Otherwise, if the score is negative, this indicates that the emotion is towards negative emotion, for instance, tranquil, cold, vulgar, or dislike.

Conclusion

This research applied a methodology which placed stress on the quantitative measurement of the chromatic-light-induced-emotion of actual landscape lighting. As a result, a reference rule of predictability can be drawn out. Moreover, the quantification model on different degrees of illumination level can also be obtained by the large quantity of tests on the output of color samples. Therefore, the scale-type query system established by the research can be a very useful reference for landscape lighting professionals.

References

[1] SpearmanC. General intelligence: objectively determined and measured. American Journal of Psychology, 1904, 15, 201–293

[2] GuilfordJ P, SmithP C. A system of color preferences. The American Journal of Psychology, 1959, 72: 487–502

[3] SatoT, KajiwaraK, Hoshino H, Nakamura T. Quantitative evaluation and categorization of human emotion induced by colour. Advances in Colour Science and Technology, 2000, 3: 53–59

[4] OuL C, LuoM R, WoodcockA, WrightA. A study of colour emotion and color preference, Part I. Colour emotions for single colours. Color Research and Application, 2004, 29:232–240

[5] OuL C, LuoM R, WoodcockA, WrightA. A study of colour emotion and colour preference, Part III. Colour preference modeling. Color Research and Application, 2004, 29:381–389

[6] GaoX P, XinJ H. Investigation of human’s emotional responses on colors. Color Research and Application, 2006, 31:411–417

[7] XiaoJ H. Research on quantificational method of chromatic-light preference in landscape illumination. Dissertation for the Doctoral Degree. Tianjin: Tianjin University, 2008

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Higher Education Press and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg