The effects of indoor thermal-light-acoustic environments on undergraduate students' emotions under the pressure of a test
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
The environmental qualities (thermal & acoustic) of dwellings and special affairs in campus lives (i.e., tests) are significantly affecting students’ emotions. This issue is especially serious when approaching to the semester end since seasonal extreme weathers and high study pressures. This study explored the impacts of multiple factors on college students’ emotions during the last month of the (spring) semester. Through field monitoring combining questionnaires about volunteers’ sensations on various aspects, characteristics of students’ perceptions under certain conditions were found. The students were emotionally affected by thermal and acoustic environments and the test commonly. Their neutral temperatures (indicated by operative temperatures, Top), sound pressure levels (indicated by A-weighted continuous sound pressure, LAeq), and light intensities were 22.8 (males) and 24.1 °C (females). 45 and 49 dBA, as well as 31.07 (indicated by illuminations, lx) (males) and 55.33 (females) lx, respectively. Their neutral Top dropped gradually as approaching to the test, i.e., from 26.54 (Week 1) to 22.29 (Week 4) °C (females). Their sensations on visual and acoustic environments varied for investigation periods unremarkably. Emotions, in multiple models, were confirmed being affected by various factors in different trends. Their emotions fluctuated considerably for the test. The emotion state vote decreased from 0 (Day 1) to -1 (Day 27). Linear decreases were witnessed between Day 15 (0.5) and Day 27 (-1). Proper design strategies combining with equipment adjustments were capable to create nice indoor environments in physics. Yet it is needed to pay more attention to students’ psychological conditions in the semester end.
Article Details
Section
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
How to Cite
References
Alduraywish, S. et al., 2023. Association between academic stress during exam period, dietary behavior and bowel symptoms among medical students in Saudi Arabia. Clinical Epidemiology and Global Health, 22: 101318.
Aliyun, 2022. DataV.GeoAtlas.
An, J. et al., 2024. Analysis of the impact of energy consumption data visualization using augmented reality on energy consumption and indoor environment quality. Building and Environment, 250: 111177.
architecture, S.o., 2022. Have to worry about staying up late every time you do a design? You need to establish an orderly way of thinking.
Bao, W.-W. et al., 2022. Exposure to road traffic noise and behavioral problems in Chinese schoolchildren: A cross-sectional study. Science of The Total Environment, 837: 155806.
Bao, W.H., 2023. High summer temperature, how to crack the negative effects of "emotional heat stroke".
Bhandari, N., Tadepalli, S. and Gopalakrishnan, P., 2024. Investigation of acoustic comfort, productivity, and engagement in naturally ventilated university classrooms: Role of background noise and students’ noise sensitivity. Building and Environment, 249: 111131.
BLATN, 2019. BLATN BR-smart 128s CO2 meter PM2.5 air quality monitor PM1.0 Dust analyzer PM10 Particles TVOC tester Formaldehyde detector.
Buonomano, A., Forzano, C., Giuzio, G.F., Palombo, A. and Russo, G., 2024. Energy efficiency and indoor thermal comfort of railway carriages: development of an innovative passenger-centric-control framework for Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems. Energy: 132440.
Cai, H., Lin, Q., Liu, H., Li, X. and Xiao, H., 2024. Recognition of human mood, alertness and comfort under the influence of indoor lighting using physiological features. Biomedical Signal Processing and Control, 89: 105661.
Chau, C.K., Leung, T.M., Chung, W.K. and Tang, S.K., 2023. Effect of perceived dominance and pleasantness on the total noise annoyance responses evoked by augmenting road traffic noise with birdsong/stream sound. Applied Acoustics, 213: 109650.
Chen, Q. and Ou, D., 2021. The effects of classroom reverberation time and traffic noise on English listening comprehension of Chinese university students. Applied Acoustics, 179: 108082.
China, S.p.i., 2021. Studies have shown that the sounds of nature have a positive impact on health.
Choi, H., Kim, H., Hong, T. and An, J., 2023. Examining the indirect effects of indoor environmental quality on task performance: The mediating roles of physiological response and emotion. Building and Environment, 236: 110298.
Cohen, P. et al., 2019. Urban outdoor thermal perception in hot arid Beer Sheva, Israel: Methodological and gender aspects. Building and Environment, 160: 106169.
Daily, C., 2023. China Sleep Study Report 2023: Staying up late has become the norm for college students.
Dyson, R. and Renk, K., 2006. Freshmen adaptation to university life: Depressive symptoms, stress, and coping. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 62(10): 1231-1244.
Emara, M.E., Mayhoub, M., Mahmoud, H.A., Mesloub, A. and Alnaim, M.M., 2024. Lighting impact on architecture student experience in higher education buildings in Egypt. Alexandria Engineering Journal, 108: 108-121.
Enescu, D., 2017. A review of thermal comfort models and indicators for indoor environments. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 79: 1353-1379.
Gamero-Salinas, J. et al., 2024. Exploring indoor thermal comfort and its causes and consequences amid heatwaves in a Southern European city—An unsupervised learning approach. Building and Environment, 265: 111986.
Gillerot, L. et al., 2024. Forests are chill: The interplay between thermal comfort and mental wellbeing. Landscape and Urban Planning, 242: 104933.
Gong, P. et al., 2013. The difference of attention bias to emotional faces in college students of different genders. Chinese Journal of Behavioral Medicine and Brain Sciences, 22(1): 2.
Gordon-Hickey, S. and Lemley, T., 2012. Background Noise Acceptance and Personality Factors Involved in Library Environment Choices by College Students. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 38(6): 365-369.
Hahad, O. et al., 2024. Noise and mental health: evidence, mechanisms, and consequences. Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology.
He, M. et al., 2023. The effects and gender-related differences of guided forest therapy program on physiological and psychological health of graduating college students. International Journal of Geoheritage and Parks, 11(3): 483-496.
He, Y., Li, N., Zhang, W. and Peng, J., 2016. Overall and local thermal sensation & comfort in air-conditioned dormitory with hot-humid climate. Building and Environment, 101: 102-109.
Himschoot, E.A. et al., 2024. Feelings of safety for visitors recreating outdoors at night in different artificial lighting conditions. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 97: 102374.
Horn, S.A. and Dasgupta, P.K., 2024. The Air Quality Index (AQI) in historical and analytical perspective a tutorial review. Talanta, 267: 125260.
Hou, M. et al., 2023. Resolving indoor shortwave and longwave human body irradiance variations for mean radiant temperature and local thermal comfort. Energy and Buildings, 301: 113581.
Iryanidar, I. and Irwan, A.M., 2023. Stress and coping mechanisms in patients undergoing CABG: An integrative review. Clinical Epidemiology and Global Health, 23: 101388.
ISO 7726, 1998. Ergonomics of the thermal environment —Instruments for measuring physical quantities. Available from: https://cdn.standards.iteh.ai/samples/14562/0f8ba16a6e4d454f95d38708649e538a/ISO-7726-1998.pdf. Accessed at 8 Oct. 2024.
Jay, O. et al., 2021. Reducing the health effects of hot weather and heat extremes: from personal cooling strategies to green cities. The Lancet, 398(10301): 709-724.
Jiajue, Y., 2024. Causes, Psychological Mechanisms and Intervention Strategies of Low Attention Span in College Students.
Kamboj, K.P. and Garg, P., 2021. Teachers' psychological well-being role of emotional intelligence and resilient character traits in determining the psychological well-being of Indian school teachers. International Journal of Educational Management, 35(4): 768-788.
Kim, H. and Hong, T., 2023. Emotional experience in uncomfortable indoor environments: A combined examination of personal factors. Building and Environment, 244: 110742.
Lam, C.K.C. et al., 2020. Cross-modal effects of thermal and visual conditions on outdoor thermal and visual comfort perception. Building and Environment, 186.
Landvreugd, A., Nivard, M.G. and Bartels, M., 2024. The Effect of Light on Wellbeing: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Journal of Happiness Studies, 26(1): 1.
Lee, M.C. et al., 2012. Student learning performance and indoor environmental quality (IEQ) in air-conditioned university teaching rooms. Building and Environment, 49: 238-244.
Li, C., Ge, S. and Jiang, Y., 2024. Effects of simulated natural light brightness on visual perception in virtual reality forests: An eye-tracking study. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 99: 102446.
Li , H. and Zhao, Z., 2019. College students sleep quality survey: more than 30% sleep less than 7 hours, 80% have insomnia.
Liu, C. et al., 2024. A review of subjective evaluation, physiological indicators and cognitive performance in indoor light environment: The role of illuminance and correlated color temperature. Journal of Building Engineering, 95: 110224.
Liu, J. et al., 2021. Is there an association between hot weather and poor mental health outcomes? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Environment International, 153: 106533.
Loder, A.K.F., 2024. Student performance correlates of psychology admission exam scores and the number of places for students. Acta Psychologica, 250: 104523.
Manarte, L. et al., 2021. Poor insight in obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD): Associations with empathic concern and emotion recognition. Psychiatry Research, 304: 114129.
Mercader-Rubio, I. et al., 2023. Contributions of one hypothetical model of predictive relationships between psychological skills and emotional intelligence in university student-athletes: A cross-sectional study. Heliyon, 9(9): e19916.
Na, H. et al., 2023. Optimizing indoor air quality and noise levels in old school classrooms with air purifiers and HRV: A CONTAM simulation study. Journal of Building Engineering, 73: 106645.
Nicolet-dit-Félix, M., Gillioz, C., Mortillaro, M., Sander, D. and Fiori, M., 2023. Emotional intelligence and attentional bias to emotional faces: Evidence of hypersensitivity towards emotion information. Personality and Individual Differences, 201: 111917.
Oh, S.-T. and Lim, J.-H., 2025. Natural light adaptive context lighting system that provides a lighting environment tailored to the User's objectives. Heliyon, 11(2): e42064.
Omeokachie, D.N. et al., 2024. Indoor environmental conditions of selected shopping malls in Nigeria: A comparative study of microclimatic conditions, noise levels, and microbial burdens. Science of The Total Environment, 906: 167620.
Patwary, M.M. et al., 2024. Impact of extreme weather events on mental health in South and Southeast Asia: A two decades of systematic review of observational studies. Environmental Research, 250: 118436.
Peng, Y. et al., 2023. Experimental assessment of thermal and acoustics interactions on occupant comfort in mixed-mode buildings. Building and Environment, 238: 110342.
Philip A Gable, Andrea L Wilhelm and Poole, B.D., 2022. How Does Emotion Influence Time Perception? A Review of Evidence Linking Emotional Motivation and Time Processing.
Pradhan, S., Jang, Y. and Chauhan, H., 2024. Investigating effects of indoor temperature and lighting on university students’ learning performance considering sensation, comfort, and physiological responses. Building and Environment, 253: 111346.
Qiu, Y. et al., 2024. Understanding the relationship between smartphone distraction, social withdrawal, digital stress, and depression among college students: A cross-sectional study in Wuhan, China. Heliyon, 10(15): e35465.
Raimbault, M. and Dubois, D., 2005. Urban soundscapes: Experiences and knowledge. Cities, 22(5): 339-350.
Reinten, J., Braat-Eggen, P.E., Hornikx, M., Kort, H.S.M. and Kohlrausch, A., 2017. The indoor sound environment and human task performance: A literature review on the role of room acoustics. Building and Environment, 123: 315-332.
Scribbr, 2024. Multiple Linear Regression | A Quick Guide (Examples):
https://www.scribbr.com/statistics/multiple-linear-regression/.
Sharma, V., Mathur, J. and Mathur, S., 2024. Impact of indoor thermal environment on human thermal comfort, psychological response, and performance during winter in Jaipur, India. Building and Environment, 261: 111706.
Shukla, P., Mishra, S. and Goswami, S., 2024. A field study of investigation of indoor environmental quality status in Indian offices: Concerns and influencing building factors. Journal of Building Engineering, 86: 108648.
Souza-Talarico, J. and Coelho, D., 2023. Overcommitment at work and mental health: the mediation role of Allostatic load. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 153: 106151.
Standard, A., 1992. Thermal environmental conditions for human occupancy. ANSI/ASHRAE, 55, 5.
Strengers, Y., Pink, S., Dahlgren, K. and Korsmeyer, H., 2024. Healthy, safe and comfortable: Emerging indoor air practices in Australian households. Energy Research & Social Science, 118: 103760.
Tamura, C.A., Krüger, E.L., Wagner, A. and Strauhs, F.R., 2021. Analyzing potential correlations between light exposure and skin temperature in a climate chamber. Building and Environment, 205: 108242.
Tang, Z. et al., 2024. Contributions of climate change and urbanization to urban flood hazard changes in China's 293 major cities since 1980. Journal of Environmental Management, 353: 120113.
Technology, S., 2023. Mobile phone China: Data show that 55.04% of the single population will choose mobile phone entertainment in their leisure time.
testo, 2024. testo 400 - Universal Air Flow and IAQ Instrument:
https://www.testo.com/en-US/testo-400/p/0560-0400.
Thompson, R. et al., 2022. Noise pollution and human cognition: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis of recent evidence. Environment International, 158: 106905.
Tyng, C.M., Amin, H.U., Saad, M.N.M. and Malik, A.S., 2017. The Influences of Emotion on Learning and Memory. Front Psychol, 8: 1454.
Wang, H., Jia, R., Zhang, M. and Fan, W., 2024. The influence of stress on mental health among Chinese college students: The moderating role of psychological suzhi. Heliyon, 10(5): e26699.
Wang, H. and Liu, L., 2020. Experimental investigation about effect of emotion state on people's thermal comfort. Energy and Buildings, 211: 109789.
Wang, M. et al., 2023. Residential indoor thermal environment investigation and analysis on energy saving of air conditioning in hot summer and warm winter zone in China. Urban Climate, 47: 101369.
Wang，Chuanyi, 2024. It is high time for the quality of college student dormitories to improve.
Weather China, 2024. Climate background analysis of Mianyang.
Xinyan, W. et al., 2016. Study on influencing factors of high school students' psychological stress before taking exams. Campus psychology, 14(6): 2.
Xiong, L. et al., 2018. Impact of Indoor Physical Environment on Learning Efficiency in Different Types of Tasks: A 3 × 4 × 3 Full Factorial Design Analysis. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15(6): 1256.
Xu Yao, Han Juan and Yi, L., 2024. The Impact of Emotional Intelligence on Stress Perception of College Students —Understanding the Mediating Role of Social Support. Progress in psychology.
Yang, J. et al., 2022. Using laboratory experiment to inform local adaptation policies for extreme heat events. Environmental Science & Policy, 136: 216-224.
Yang, L. et al., 2024. Comparative analysis of indoor thermal environment characteristics and occupants’ adaptability: Insights from ASHRAE RP-884 and the Chinese thermal comfort database. Energy and Buildings, 309: 114033.
Yuan, L. et al., 2023. Calibrating thermal sensation vote scales for different short-term thermal histories using ensemble learning. Building and Environment, 246: 110998.
Zhang, J. et al., 2023. Indoor thermal responses and their influential factors—— impacts of local climate and contextual environment: A literature review. Journal of Thermal Biology, 113: 103540.
Zhang, Y. et al., 2024. Manipulation of artificial light environment improves plant biomass and fruit nutritional quality in tomato. Journal of Advanced Research.
Zhi, H., 2023. How to use cell phone correctly? Help you reduce anxiety and stress!
Zhiyan, C., 2023. Blue Book report | Survey report on mental health status of Chinese college students.
Zhuo, L., 2010. A study on the influencing factors of the psychological stress before the examination of senior high school students and its relationship with the examination scores, The Fourth Military Medical University.