Hernandez Rivera, Nuria;
(2020)
Could light colour and source change mood in children with autism?
Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).
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Abstract
Neuroarchitecture has shown in previous work that the environment and its features can influence, not only the mood but also the health and performance of its users. However, limited research has been done about the influence of environmental factors on the mood of people who suffer from sensory processing disorders and perceive the environment differently, for example, children with autism, using qualitative data. Among all the possible architectonic features, the light was chosen as the matter of study after being considered as one of the most invasive and influential features of the environment that could impact the temper and behaviour of a person. This study aims to design a tool to measure the influence of the colour and source of the light has on the mood of children with autism to know which types of light might improve their well-being in the future. Four children participated in a study in which three physiological signals (electrodermal activity, facial thermography and rate per minute of tics) were measured while they were playing with toys under different light conditions. Results showed that the different sources (LED and fluorescent light) and colours of the light (yellow, green, red and blue) could influence their physiological and behavioural responses. The data obtained in the experiment was introduced in an innovative three-dimensional system called ‘3D Mood Box’ to identify the emotional states of the participants and thus, for instance, their mood, and results showed that the different types of light affect every child differently. Information extracted from this tool will inform future design decisions which can improve the mood of the participants. This thesis also raises awareness about the influence of architecture in the well-being of all the users, especially those who perceive the world differently. Moreover, the method proposed can be applied in future research in order to understand the reactions of any individual towards the environment.
| Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Qualification: | Ph.D |
| Title: | Could light colour and source change mood in children with autism? |
| Event: | UCL (University College London) |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Copyright © The Author 2020. Original content in this thesis is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Any third-party copyright material present remains the property of its respective owner(s) and is licensed under its existing terms. Access may initially be restricted at the author’s request. |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of the Built Environment UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of the Built Environment > The Bartlett Sch of Const and Proj Mgt |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10108977 |
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