Cognitive Psychology Effects in Long-Term Thermal Comfort Evaluation

Abstract

Thermal comfort is a fundamental aspect of indoor living and working environments. While previous research has explored factors influencing point-in-time thermal comfort, the mechanisms behind long-term thermal comfort remain elusive. This study employs cognitive psychology to delve into the formation of long-term thermal comfort, identifying influencing factors through statistical analyses of survey responses. The questionnaire developed for this purpose encompasses five cognitive biases and 17 potential factors, and it was widely distributed in China. The analysis revealed robust positive linear relationships between long-term comfort and initial impressions of the thermal environment, job satisfaction levels, current temperature and humidity perceptions, and comfort during summer and winter. The study detected the presence of Primacy Effect, Perceptual Bias, Recency Bias, and Von Restorff Effect in the long-term thermal evaluation, indicating the importance of individuals' initial, peak, and concluding experiences, as well as their job perception, in shaping long-term evaluations. Surprisingly, factors like age, gender, thermal history, and controllability, which influence short-term thermal comfort, did not significantly impact long-term thermal comfort. Furthermore, recommendations were proposed to mitigate unwanted biases and achieve more objective evaluations of long-term thermal environments.

Keywords: thermal comfort, Cognitive Psychology, Long-Term Evaluation, ANOVA, Correlation, Step-wise Regression