Explaining the Emotion People Experience in Suburban Parks

Abstract

The circumplex model of affect, with major axes of pleasure and arousal, provides a complete and parsimonious description of people's affective evaluations of environments. This model is used to evaluate the affect experienced by persons in different suburban parks simulated by photographs. The parks' tree densities, understory vegetation densities, and the presence or absence of pathways are used to explain persons' evaluations of affect. Evaluations of pleasure are influenced more than evaluations of arousal by variations in these physical characteristics. In general, pleasure increases as tree density increases and understory density decreases. Arousal increases with increasing understory vegetation density, which may be because way finding is more difficult without pathways. Interactions among all variables are present and significant. It is suggested that persons visit parks to experience an affect different than what is available from other environments. The relationship between affect produced by a park and persons' preferences for the park is examined. In general, people prefer parks that are both pleasant and arousing. People differ slightly in the affect they associate with different park characteristics but not in the level and type of affect they prefer to experience in parks. Results suggest considerable control over affect can be exercised through manipulation of a park's physical characteristics. Further, the circumplex model of affect seems a useful tool for the study of environment and behavior relationships.