Predictors of explicit and implicit anthropomorphism in house facades

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Architectural Psychology

Background:

• Anthropomorphism, the attribution of human characteristics to non-human entities, can provide guidance in ambiguous environments.
• Individual differences exist in the propensity to anthropomorphize objects.
• Houses, as significant objects of self-expression, hold psychological importance and can influence well-being.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between self-reported attribution and evoked anthropomorphism when viewing house facades.
• To examine implicit and explicit measures of house anthropomorphism.
• To assess the influence of cultural differences on house anthropomorphism.

Main Methods:

• Data collected from 305 participants across Germany, Denmark, and Canada.
• Implicit house anthropomorphism measured using the Global Vectors for Word Representation (GloVe) method.
• Explicit anthropomorphism assessed via the Individual Differences in Anthropomorphism Questionnaire (IDAQ) and a specific House Anthropomorphism Score (EHAS).

Main Results:

• No significant relationship was found between implicit (GloVe) and explicit (IDAQ, EHAS) measures of house anthropomorphism.
• Individual IDAQ scores were significantly associated with EHAS scores across all participants, irrespective of country.
• Explicit ratings showed high agreement across countries, indicating negligible cultural differences.

Conclusions:

• Individual differences in anthropomorphism (IDAQ) are strongly related to explicit house anthropomorphism ratings (EHAS).
• Implicit perception of house anthropomorphism does not correlate with explicit self-reported measures.
• Understanding house anthropomorphism can inform urban design and architecture by highlighting factors that elicit positive interactions and contribute to well-being.