Does Good Lighting Draw us Into a Room? Examining the Relationship Between Visual Features, Subjective Light Quality, and Approach-Avoidance in Indoor Environments Using Image Analysis

This study examines the relationship between approach-avoidance responses (i.e., our willingness to approach a space), perceived presence of daylight and light quality, and objective visual features (color, contrast, presence of windows and luminaires) using image analysis of 212 photographs of indoor environments. Results showed that objective visual features explained 48% and 49% of the variance in the perceived presence of daylight and light quality, respectively. Light quality and perceived presence of daylight showed a high intercorrelation and were both positively related to approach, particularly light quality. Lastly, light quality mediated the relationship between visual features and approach-avoidance. These findings extend our understanding of the relationship between lighting and approach-avoidance responses and showcase the proposed method of image analysis for lighting research.