Effects of lighting and sound factors on environmental sensation, perception, and cognitive performance in a classroom

This experimental study investigates the effects of lighting and sound factors on environmental sensation, perception, and cognitive performance. For this purpose, 60 university students (30 men and 30 women in their twenties) voluntarily participated in six experimental sessions in a real classroom. The classroom lighting conditions were configured with two illuminance levels (650 lx and 1050 lx) and three correlated colour temperatures (3000 K, 4000 K, and 5700 K). Five sound conditions (41 dBA ambient, music, and traffic × 45 dBA and 65 dBA) were combined with the six lighting conditions. Semantic attributes were chosen for the subjective environmental evaluations of sensation and perception. The Korean Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-IV was used to develop a working memory test to measure the cognitive performance of subjects in the classroom. The cross-modal effects of lighting and sound factors were observed on environmental perception rather than environmental sensation. Sound and lighting factors had the greatest influence on environmental perceptions and cognitive performance, respectively. A classroom that is perceived to have the best environmental conditions may not be conducive to enhancing the cognitive performance. The priority of an indoor environment is to meet the objectives of the indoor space. In terms of multi-sensory interaction, not only light and sound but also other elements of the indoor environment should be considered for improved indoor environmental control.