Does thermal control improve visual satisfaction? Interactions between occupants’ self‐perceived control, visual, thermal, and overall satisfaction

Indoor Air, vol. 31, pp. 2329–2349

Abstract

Occupants' satisfaction had been researched independently related to thermal and visual stimuli for many decades showing among others the influence of self-perceived control. Few studies revealed interactions between thermal and visual stimuli affecting occupant satisfaction. In addition, studies including interactions between thermal and visual stimuli are lacking different control scenarios. This study focused on the effects of thermal and visual factors, their interaction, seasonal influences, and the degree of self-perceived control on overall, thermal, and visual satisfaction. A repeated-measures laboratory study with 61 participants running over two years and a total of 986 participant sessions was conducted. Mixed model analyses with overall satisfaction as outcome variable revealed that thermal satisfaction and visual satisfaction are the most important predictors for overall satisfaction with the indoor environment. Self-perceived thermal control served as moderator between thermal satisfaction and overall satisfaction. Season had slight influence on overall satisfaction. Random effects explained the highest amount of variance, indicating that intra- and interindividual differences in the ratings of satisfaction are more prevalent than study condition. Future building design and operation plans aiming at a high level of occupant satisfaction should consider personal control opportunities and take into account the moderating effect of control opportunities in multimodal interactions.

Authors 4

1. Sabine Lechner

   Karlsruhe Institute of Technology

   Affiliation as printed

   Building Science Group Karlsruhe Institute of Technology Karlsruhe Germany

   Building Science Group, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany

2. Cornelia Moosmann

   Karlsruhe Institute of Technology · University of Applied Sciences and Arts Hildesheim/Holzminden/Göttingen

   Affiliation as printed

   Building Science Group Karlsruhe Institute of Technology Karlsruhe Germany

   Lighting Design HAWK University of Applied Sciences and Arts Hildesheim Germany

   Building Science Group, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany

   Lighting Design, HAWK University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Hildesheim, Germany

3. Andreas Wagner

   Karlsruhe Institute of Technology

   Affiliation as printed

   Building Science Group Karlsruhe Institute of Technology Karlsruhe Germany

   Building Science Group, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany

4. Marcel Schweiker corresponding Aachen Institute for Occupational, Social, and Environmental Medicine Medical Faculty Institute for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine Medical Faculty

   Karlsruhe Institute of Technology · RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Building Science Group Karlsruhe Institute of Technology Karlsruhe Germany

   Institute for Occupational, Social, and Environmental Medicine Medical Faculty RWTH Aachen University Aachen Germany

   Building Science Group, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany

   Institute for Occupational, Social, and Environmental Medicine, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany