Effect of perceived control on human thermal comfort in heated environments

Abstract

To study the effects of perceived control on human thermal sensation and thermal comfort in heated environments, a psychological experiment was conducted. In total, 24 subjects participated in an experiment. The experiment consisted of two cases in which the indoor temperature was set at 18 °C with different cold radiation temperatures. The experiment lasted for 120 min and was divided into three phases, adaptation, without perceived control and perceived control. In the second phase, the subjects were told in advance that the indoor temperature could not be adjusted. In the third phase, subjects were told that they could adjust the indoor temperature to meet their own thermal expectations, but the indoor temperature could not actually be changed. The results showed that the effect of perceived control on thermal sensation was related to the thermal expectation. For people with strong expectations for a neutral environment, perceived control improved their thermal sensation by satisfying their thermal expectations. For people with low thermal expectations, perceived control reduced their thermal tolerance to the environment, eventually leading to thermal discomfort. These new findings provide more supports for the importance of psychological effects and a reference for the personal control of heating temperatures.

摘要

为了研究供暖环境中心理感知控制对人体热感觉和热舒适的影响,设计了心理学对照实验。实验共有2 个工况,每个工况的室温保持在18 °C,但冷辐射温度不同,有24 名受试者参加了本次实验。实验共进行120 min,前30 min 为适应期,后60 min 为实验期的“不可调”工况,受试者提前被告知不可调节室温; 最后30 min 为实验期的“可调”工况,受试者被告知可以根据自身的热期望调节室温,但实际上实验员并没有调节室温。结果表明,感知控制对热感觉的影响效果与热期望有关,对不同热期望的人群产生了不同影响。对热中性环境有强烈期望的人群,感知控制可以满足他们的热期望进而改善热感觉。在室温偏低的环境中,这种效应会更加明显。对于热期望较低的人群,感知控制可能会降低他们对所处环境的热耐受性,从而导致不适感增强。本文研究成果将为心理学效应研究提供理论支撑,也为供暖室温个性化调控提供参考。