Effect of material properties on emotion: a virtual reality study.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Psychology

Background:

• Product appreciation is influenced by material properties, affecting emotional response and purchase decisions.
• Assessing the affective level of materials is challenging, with prior research focusing on color.
• This study investigates the impact of material metalness and smoothness on induced emotional responses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the influence of material metalness and smoothness on emotional responses.
• To quantify the relationship between material properties and user emotional preferences.
• To explore the role of specular reflections in mediating emotional reactions to materials.

Main Methods:

• A perceptual user study was conducted in a virtual reality environment.
• Participants evaluated 16 variations of a neutral object (mug) with differing metalness and smoothness.
• Emotional responses were measured using James Russell's circumplex model (arousal and valence).

Main Results:

• Both metalness and smoothness showed significant positive effects on arousal and valence.
• Image processing revealed a link between these effects and the strength of specular reflections.
• User preferences were ordered based on emotional responses to material variations.

Conclusions:

• This research establishes a strong relationship between material properties, specular reflections, and emotional responses.
• The findings provide insights for designers to leverage material characteristics for emotional impact.
• Specular reflection strength is a key factor in the emotional perception of materials.