THE EFFECT GK BEHAWOR QF THE GHALETA‘E‘WE AVREBQTES 3? THE :hEMEi‘FE‘S THAT BEFEHE AR EEQCATEQNAL ACTWETY SPAEE Thesis Tao 95:0 Deqmo a-T' pk Dc MECHESAN STATE UHWEESIT? Stuart W. Rose 3’96? LIB R A R Y Michigan State University This is to certify that the thesis. entitled . The Effect On Behavior Of The Qualitative Attributes of the Elements That Define an Educational Activity Space presented by Stuart w. Rose has been accepted towards fulfillment of the requirements for _Bth~_ degree in __Education Major filessdr Date November 18, 1968 0-169 ABSTRACT THE EFFECT ON BEHAVIOR OF THE QUALITATIVE ATTRIBUTES OF THE ELEMENTS THAT DEFINE AN EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY SPACE by Stuart w. Rose Problem Statement The purpose of the study was to determine the effect that variations in the qualitative characteristics of a space may have on the behavior of learners that are performing an educational activity in the space. The educational activity consisted of per- forming a series of educational tasks (with meas- urable objectives) by means of small group dis- cussion. The behavior of the learners, which was the dependent variable, consisted of task achieve- ment, quality and quantity of interaction, and attitude expression towards the activity and the activity subject matter. The qualitative characs- taristics of the space, which were the independent variables, included the position, Form, color, contrast and textural attributes of‘ the space establishing elements (i.e. the wals, floor and ceiling of the space). Method of Study Attitudes toward attributes of space establishing elements and towards the activity were measured in the Dre-test, employing a semantic differential attitude measurement instrument. By meanse afl"a process described at length in the text, two spaces were designed and constructed for the Treatment; one was hypothesized to reinforce the quality of the activity. The groups met in their respective spaces for two weeks, during which time they perq formed the programmad: tasks; their interaction was recorded and analyzed. Attitude measurement after the Treatment comprised the Postvtest. Be- havioral differences between groups in the two spaces were compared in relation to task achieve- ment, interaction quantity and quality, and atti- tude toward the activity and the subject matter. Major Findings With certain expressed reservations, the hypotheses were supported by the data. The findings, however, did not achieve statistical significance and were therefore concluded not to be reliable in terms of predictability. The results suggested that the quality of educational spaces can be employed as a tool in aiding the quality of educational acti- vities. The study also suggested theta process by which desirable spatial qualities may be reliably determined is possible, and could be the process indicated in the study, pending added substantiation. THE EFFECT ON BEHAVIOR OF THE QUALITATIVE ATTRIBUTES OF THE ELEMENTS THAT DEFINE AN EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY SPACE by A \T Stuart WE Rose A THESIS Submitted to Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Department of Administration and Higher Education 1969 C O Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. mmITTLg Donald J. Leu, Major Professor John Suehr Donald Hamachek Duane Gibson ii LgkwowLEDcEMENTs In addition to helpful advisement received from members of my doctoral committee and from vari- ous other faculty members of Michigan State Uni- versity, several persons provided especially sig- nificant contributions which caused this study to be done. Professor Philip Thiel, an innova- ting pioneer in architectural research, genera- ted, through one of his numerous brief papers, a spark which grew to the inception of the hypo- theses. Dr. John Suehr, with his usual minimal energy effort, caused me to see better. Dr. Donald Leu, with occassional, but concentrated, reviews, helped to keep the study on a clear path. Dr. Stephen Yelon provided assistance essential to the construction of the set of pro- grammed tasks. And my wife , Gail , provided countless hours of help during the execution and completion of the study: without her there would not likely be a study, and to her this study is appropriately dedicated. iii T A B L E C F CHAPTER C C N T E N T S I INTRODUCTION 0 O O O O O O O O 0 Statement of the Problem. 0 0 Importance of the Problem . . Delimitations of the study. . Definition of Terms . . . . . II REVIEW OF LITERATURE . . . . . . A Behavioral Design Approach. Effect on Behavior. . . . . . DirBCtion DE EFFBCt a s a o a Summary . III RESEARCH DESIGN. . . . . . . . . General Approach. . . . . . . Sources 0? Data 0 a o a a s a Method of Procedure . . . . . Treatment IV FINDINGS . . Pro-Test. Treatment Post-Test V CONCLUSIONS. Findings. TaSk a of Findings . . . . iv 12 12 15 18 22 23 23 25 27 29 33 33 34 34 47 47 47 CHAPTER Interaction. . . . Attitude . . . . . Summary. . . . . . Hypotheses. . . . . . Implications. s a a a FOOTNOTES. 0 O O O O 0 O O O BIBLIOGRAPHY . . . . . . . . APPENDIX A Form for Solicitation of B Attitude Measurement . . C Forty Pre-Test Concepts. 0 General Instructions for Programmed TaSkS a o a 0’ Programmed Tasks . . . . Post-Test Concepts . . . Description of Treatment Interaction Data . . . . 63 65 68 71 74 77 BO 83 85 BB 1 Mean Scores of Responses toward Forty Concepts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Summed Differences Between Responses Toward Small Group Discussion Activity Concept and Other Concepts Related to Attributes of Space Establishing Elements 3 Summed Differences Between Responses T Toward the "Mirror-Image" of the Small Group Discussion Activity Concept and Other Concepts Related to Attributes of Space Establishing Elements . . . . . . . 4 Characteristics of Treatment Spaces .~. . 5 Group Interaction in Each of the Treatment Spaces. . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Task Achievement of the Groups in Each Treatment Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Attitude of Groups in Treatment Spaces Toward Educational Psychology Subject Matter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B Attitude of Groups in Treatment Spaces Toward Small Group Discussion Activity.. 9 Attitude of Groups in Treatment Spaces Toward the Space. 0 a a s s o o a s s s 0 vi 39 4O 41 42 43 44 45 46 I INTRODUCTION The purpose of this study was to determine the ef- . feet that variations in the qualitative character- istics of a space may have upon the behavior of learners who are performing an educational acti- vity in the space. The educational activity con- sisted of performinga series of educational tasks (with measurable objectives) in "means of small group discussion. The behavior of the learners, which was the dependent variable , consisted of (1) the task achievement, (2) the quality and quan- tity of interaction, and (3) the attitude express- ion toward the activity and the activity subject matter. The qualitative characteristics of the space, which were the independent variables, in- cluded the position, form, color, and textural at- tributes of the space establishing elements (i.e. the walls, floor and ceiling of the space.) STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM This study examined the interaction between man and his physical environment from a stimulus-re- sponse point of view. The stimulus was considered to come externally to man from the physical en- vironment, while the response was considered to come internally to man inthe form of behavioral motivations. In the interaction the desire for comfort is assumed, such that if the environmen- tal stimulants vary from a point of comfort in one direction, the behavioral response 'IOUld vary from comfort in the other direction so as to produce a comfortable balance. For example, if the environmental stimulants include a degree of heat beyond the point of comfort, the beha- vioral response would tend to cause cooling (such as sipping a tall, cool drink or turning on an air-conditioning system or a fan, etc.). Viewing the qualitative attributes of space es- tablishing elements as environmental stimulants, the following process suggests a means by which the use of such stimulants may be directed to help facilitate desired behaviors. (1) Identify the desired behavior. In this study, the semantic differential attitude measuring in- strument was employed to record the profile of the meaning attached to the behavior desired. (2) Assuming the neutral axis of the semantic differ- ential as an approximation of the comfort balance, a mirror-image of the desired behavior profile was constructed. This latter profile was assumed to be a balancing profile, to which the meaning attached to the environmental stimulants should conform. (3) Employing stimulants that conform to both the profile of desired behavior (i.e. "Consonant Stimulants") and those that conform to the balan- cing profile ( i.e. "Dissonant Stimulants"), the space designed by incorporation of the balancing "Dissonant Stimulants" should produce the desired behavior. Four terms critical to the understanding of the hypotheses that follow are: (1) Profile "A" or the Behavior Profile, which is the profile of the behavior desired. (2) Profile "B" or the Balancing Profile, which is the mirror-image of the Behavior Profile. (3) Space "A" or the Consonant Space, which is the space designed by the incorporation of Consonant Stimulants ( or environmental stimulants conso- nant with the Behavior Profile). (4) Space ”8" or the Dissonant Space , which is the space designed by the incorporation of Dissonant Stimulants ( or environmental stimulants disso- nantudtiithe Behavior Profile and consonant with the Balancing Profile). Given a strongly similar seriescfl’student groups performing identical educational activities, the following hypotheses were asserted: (1) Task achievement will be greater in Space "B", the Dissonant Space, (a space that evokes an at- titude opposite to the occupants' attitude toward the activity). (2) Interaction will be greater in quality and quan- tity in Space "8", the Dissonant Space, (a space that evokes an attitude expression ioppesite to the occupants' attitude toward the activity). (3) Space "8" , the Dissonant Space , will tend to shape attitudes toward the activity in the di- rection of Profile "A", the Behavior Profile, (i.e. the attitudes toward the small group dis- CUssion activity will tend to be shaped in a di- rection opposite to that of the attitude expres- sion evoked by the space). (4) Attitudes toward the small group discussion acti- vity will be closer to the attitudes toward the subject matter at the completion of the activity than at the start of the activity. IMPORTANCE OF THE PROBLEM "Likea fish in water, man also moves in a physi- cal milieu, and as long as he is alive he cannot physically transcend it. To live is to function as an animate organism, or system, in an interde- pendent relationship with an all-encompassing lar- ger organic system." Many of the stimulae present in the environment (e.g. cold, rain, glare, etc.) are not congruent with man's needs; dissonance caused by such aversive stimulae may be reduced by modifying the interaction effect (e.g. by introducing some filter, shield, wall, etc.). As Philip Thiel indicated, "Modification of stimulae as available at any series of points constitutes the common basis for any act of envirotecture."2 However, while man has been confronted with,and has for thousands of years, dealt with, the prob- lem of modifying his interaction with the physi- cal environment, criteria for performing such modifying acts are still virtually non-existent. while research has provided some insights as to how spaces and objects are perceived, how.den- sity of population in a space affects behavior, how seating arrangements and related spatial pro- portioning affect social behavior, and even how preferences toward certain objects or color at- tributes of a space establishing element affect movement through a space, virtuallyrunknowledge exists which relates the qualitative attributes of space establishing elementslnahuman behavior in the performance ofagiven activity. As David Bonsteel and Robert Sasanoff indicated, ”The design professions have long lackedameans for objective analysis and prgdiction .o‘f ' beha- vior in architectural space." The critical need for this type of research was again illustrated when they stated, "with increasing environmental complexity and ever more rapid change, the designs prbfsasions are faced on the one hand with more complex vari— ations of existing problems that require ever more rapid solutions, and on the other hand with new problems without previous experience for prediction.”4 This study is the first in which human behavior in the performance of an activity is the dependent variable, and the qualitative characteristics of the elements that define the activity space are the independent variables . It is perhaps the first time that a process has been considered which stipulates the use of occupant responses as a key to the design of the space, and in which the accommodation of the activity can be guar- anteed, ands shaping effect upon attitude can be DFBdICths DELIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY Limitations were, for a variety of reasons, im- posed upon this study; such limitations might be best understood in relation to the research design. Five basic limitations were evident during the pre-test phase of the study. The first was the quality of the attitude measurement instrument which had been tested thoroughly by Charles Os- good in a variety of situations, but had never been employed with the particular purposes for which it was used in this study. The second limitation during the pre-test was the number of participants, which was just above the minimum required to insure reliability of results. The third limitation was the quality of simulation of the concepts; such qualities as color ac- curacy were limited by photographic technology. The fourth limitation in the pre-test was the time of exposure; the impact of a color over a period of time may differ from the impact of the same color overa period of only a minute or so. The fifth limitation was the number of concepts employed, which was the result of the fatigue that was found to occur after a length of tes- ting; two or more sittings were not possible to arrange. Six basic limitations were evident during the treatment phase of the study.) The first was the treatment of the qualitative characteristics of the space establishing elements as a composite: because of time and fund limitations, each char- acteristic could not be treated independently as the permutations expanded too quickly. The se- cond limitation was the flexibility of construc- tion of the spaces; fund limitations and re- strictions imposed by the physical plant depar- tment of the University provided for spaces that could not be specially constructed for the treat- ment, and only for temporary modifications of existing spaces. The third limitation was the number of participants available for each group, which was six rather than the Preferred seven. The fourth limitation was the number of groups that were formed, which was also limited to a- vailability of participants; while five groups per space was assumed to be sufficient to pro- vide reasonable reliability of results,several times that number would have been preferred. The fifth limitation was the amount of time,imluums of the numbers of group meetings, that was able to be scheduled; a result of the schedules of the student participants and the amount of funds available to pay for extended participation. The sixth limitation was the mode of observation em- ployed to record the interaction of the groups. Because the meeting rooms could not be specially constructed for the study, observation booths were not available and interaction measurement had to be done from tape recordings. The major limitation involved in the post-test was the quality of the attitude measurement in- strument, as discussed previously. DEFINITION OF TERMS Several terms employed commonly in this report were defined for clarity and ease of commonica- tion. 10 S ace EstablishingAElements: Surfaces, ObjeEts, and Screens which,through their perceived relationships, establish a space. ggalitative Characteristics of Space Establish- ng—Elements: The position, shape, color and textural attri- butes of the space establishing elements. Texture: The structure of the surface of any body, (par- ticularly asit.relates to the characteristic of touch, its tactile quality). Sha e: The quality of a thing depending upon its out- line or external surface: the form of a parti— cular thing. Contrast: To set In opposition in order to show unlikeness, particularly as related to juxtapositioncn’dif- ferent light values. Hue: THE: property of a color by which the various regions of the spectrum are distinguished, as red, blue, etc. Value: 9 degree of lightness or darkness of a color. Chroma: PUTTty'of color: intensity of distinctive hue, or saturation of a color. The remainder of this report was divided into four sections. The first, Chapter II, contains a review of literature related to the study, which was used both in development of the hypothe- ses for this study and as an aid in the develop- ment of the research design and the tools: for the study. The second section to follow, ChapterIII, consists of an outline of the logical and proced- ural details of the research design. The third 11 section, Chapter IV, contains a report of the findings of the study, and the fourth section, Chapter V, was constructed to summarize the study and to suggest further areas for investigation. II REVIEW OF LITERATURE This review consisted of three segments. The first involved the role of behavior in the pro- cess of designing the physical environment. The second concerned evidence of a relationship be- tween the physical environment and human behavior. The third segment employed bxistihg theoretical assertions in order to establish a basis for hy- potheses concerning the nature or direction of effect that the qualitative characteristics of the space establishing elements would have upon behavior. A BEHAVIORAI:_DESI CN APPROACH One way to summarize the state of the practiced environmental design process historically is as pseudo-scientific artistry. Designers of the en- vironment have appeared to avoid the alleged de- humanizing influences of the machine and computer age, and appear to have generally attempted to maintain an image of aesthetic judge or environ- mental artist. However, as Raymond Studer and David Stea indicated, 12 13 "....review customarily concludes with a cata- loging of the failures of current architectural efforts, and the assertion that either designers ought to understand people, or that people ought to understand designers, or both." Interestingly, Nassily Kandinsky, an artist known for his imaginative, impressionistic, and pioneer- ing expressions, was also one of the few heretics to suggest a new approach to design. ”I should like to remark finally that, in my opi- nion, we are fast approaching initials of reasoned and conscious composition, in which the painter will be pround to declare his work constructimal - this in contrast to the claim of the impres- sionists that they could explain nothing, that their art came by inspiration. we have before us an age of conscious creation, and this new spirit of painting is going hand in handwith thought towards an epoch of great spirituality."6 "The innate feeling of the artist is the biblical talent which must not be buried in the earth. And for this reason it is necessary for the ar- tist to know the starting-point for the exercise of his spirit. The starting-point is the study of color and its effects on man." More recently , Studer and Stea have advocated that behavior should have a somewhat different role in the process of environmental design. ”Suppose, for example, we change the precept to environment follows function, and specify as the cIass of relevant variables the requirements of the participating humans."8 . . "A.E. Paar has hinted at this kind of 'function- alism' for some time in suggesting that elements in the environment be chosen in response to psy- chological variabées as well as other ( ' func- tional " ) ones." 14 A.E. Paar, a psychologist, reinforced this ap- proach when he stated, "Its is high time to insist that the behavior of men, and the needs of the human mind, bean- so made the first objects of study in planning the environments in which our minds must func- tion and our lives will be contained."10 Studer and Stea summarized, for the most part, this approachtxathe design of the environment. "Assuming that we understand the correlations (nd this is a bit of wishful thinking) Between the behavioral units and the physical units in the designed environment, a behavioral system specified according to the above criteria yields a related system of physical contingencies (quan- titative and qualitative)."11 "when these operations are complete, the de- signed environment or architecture can be said to have been programmed to accommodate a spe- cific set of behaviors."12 Thus the primary need in this approach appeared to be a means for correlating behavior and ele- ments of the physical environment. A perceptual psychologist, Faber Birren, sug- gested the possibilities of such correlations in what he referred to as "physiognomic percep- tion." "In physiognomic perception there is a dynami- zation of things. Perception (and experience) adds to what it sees. The viewer becomes an artist in his own right, in that he takes part 15 in what he views. And the artiet1§s great who can create pleasurable reactions." Birren suggests that correlations between phy- sical and behavioral elements does exist. “It is quite easy for the average person to tran- slate thoughts, feelings, and moods into design forms. Pointed things way be sharp and cruel. Sagging things may be tired 3r lazy. Bulging things may be soft or jolly."1 Summarizing, Birren indicates, ”what is important is simply this: man has an inherent and dynamic interest in what he beholds. Nature may teach him lessenaiin beauty, but essen- tially he has an intuition of his own. The art of the future could well become physiognomic and, in so doing, craate=forasrand effects which would break with and surpass the best tradi- tions of the past. It could ibe'ma'je’stically original." Thus Birren appeared to advocate not only the value of relating or correlating behavior (reac- tions) with elements of the physical environment, but also suggested that such translations were readily obtainable. The next concern of this study was for evidence of linkages that may have been shown to exist between attitude, behavior and the physical environment. EFFECT ON BEHAVIOR A perceptual psychologist, James J. Gibson, indi- cated that objects, (such as space establishing 16 elements), cause particular responses to be form- ed and that such responses may be correlated with other stimulae. "But it becomes possible to refer to the stimu- lus-correlatecfl’an object and td understand how a response can be a constant function of an ob- JBCtsn16 These stimulae can then be translated to their effect upon behavior. "The so-called stimulus-objects for behavior are the stimglus-correlates of the literal visual world...“ Gibson also related his comments to behavior in a defined space. ”The so-called cues for behavior are certain in- variantscfl’stimulation which yield objects with color constancy, shape constancy, and size con- stancy."18 The objects defined included the space establi- shing elements, thereby having formally linked the qualitative attributes of space establish- ing elements to behavior, as the following pass- age of Gibson's indicated. "Spatial behavior and spatial perception are co- ordinate with one another."1 Two research projects with some similarities to this one were done by Robert Bechtel, of the Environmental Research Foundation of Topeka, 17 Kansas. In both projects the dependent variable was human movement througha space. In the first project preference toward particular displays 20 In the second was the independnet variable. project, reaction to the color attributes of the space establishing elements was the independent variable.21 In both projects results indicated significant variation in the dependent variable asaresult of variation of the independent var- iable. Douglas H. K. Lee commented upon the role of at- titudeijwrelation to behavior of people in var- ious environmental situations. "Attitude operates upon and is affected by both PhY8101091ca1 and psychological mechanisms."22 In addition, Lee indicated, ”....Attitude playsavery important role in the adjustment of people to environmental condi- tions." The role of attitude was also indicated to be greatest under "average"cu'"normal" conditions, when stress is not at an extreme point. "....Attitude is the most influential when stress is moderate."24 Thus attitude can be linked to behavior, which may be most useful for purposes of establishing 18 a mode for prediction of behavior. Gibson asserted, "Meanings and spatial properties are not entirely separable from one another: meaning is not wholly detachable from color, form, and texture." In relation to measurement of meaning for pur- poses of predicting behavior, Robert Sommer, a sociologist, indicated, "People in other professions, including the be- havioral sciences, have been interested in find- ing ways to explore the meaning that people- attach to concepts. Probably the best instru- ment developed for this purpose is the semantic differential technique pioneered by Egarles Os- good at the University of Illinois." Thus, the meaning that people attach to differ- ent concepts, (such as the qualitative charact- eristics cfl’ space establishing elements), was assumed to be both measurable and linked to their behavior in relation to those concepts: through this linkage meaning can be measured and behavior predicted. DIRECTION OF EFFECT The next task required formulation of a direct- ion in which behavior in an activity could be, at least hypothetically, predicted in response to particular environmental stimulae. Studer and 19 Stea suggested one approach to formulation of a direction when they stated, "....for to be functional the designed environ- ment, as it. interacts with the human particip- ants would be in a state of equilibrium, with all the cflfficult implications such a proposi- tion entails."27 The above propositions might be viewed in terms of a balancing of forces required to produce an equilibrium, the source of one force being the external physical environment and of the other the internal non-physical human reaction to the external forces which results in, or’ leads to, behavioral responses. Rudolph Steiner, the foundercfl’the anthroposophic movement, referred to these forces when he mentioned, ”One sensation causes us pleasure, another dis- pleasure. These are the stirrings of our inner life, our soul life. In our feelings we create a second world in addition to that which works onus from without. Anda third is added to this- the world of the will. Through the will we react to the outer world, thereby 55amping the impress of our inner being upon it." 8 A similar natural phenomenon exists in relation to physical human responses to various forces alien to the human physical system, (such as responses to germs, heat or cold, darkness or bright light, etc.). When foreign bodies enter the human system, the system attempts to con- trol those bodies and to produce antibodies that 20 will neutralize or destroy those foreign bodies: a major portion of medical treatment, such as vaccinations and other medications, is based upon this natural phenomenon. when external conditions cause the natural equilibrium to be disturbed by an excess of heat or cold, the body responds with perspiration for cooling purposes or shaking for heating purposes: re- sulting behavior may also include decreasing or increasing the amount of clothing on the body, or adjusting the environmental conditions by partitioning an envelope of space and either cooling or heating that envelope. when light- ing is reduced or increased, the pupil of the eye opens or closes, respectively, thereby re- sponding in a direction opposite in thrust to the external forces in order to maintain or re- establish the equilibrium condition. The same balancing or compensating phenomenon also occurs in response to visual phenomena. For example, the eye creates an "after-image" in response to an exposure to a color of one extreme or another: the response is opposite in direction to the original stimulus. (e.g. If the eye is exposed to a red surface for a time, and then to a white surface, a green image will 21 be seen instead of white.) Rudolph Arnheim, a perceptual psychologist, mentioned that "Goethe described the phenomenon by saying that complementary colors 'demand each other'. They do so because the eye demands completeness." 9 If an extremely large and significant structure, such asamagnificent cathedral, is entered, the internal response, in terms of feeling and be- haviors resulting from that feeling, may be that of smallness and insignificance; however , the external response, in terms of verbal express- ion of the experience, may be that of awesome- ness and magnificence, reflecting the nature of the external forces. The above behavioral responsesixaexternal stim- ulae may be, at least in part, explained by Leon Festinger, who, when describing a theory of cog- nitive dissonance, indicated that (1) two ele- ments, (such as a given behavior and a given physical environment,) exist in a dissonant re- lation if the obverse of one follows from another, (such that the balance or equilibrium discussed above would tn; disturbed): (2) the presence of dissonance gives rise to pressures to reduce that dissonance: (3) the strength of the pressure to reduce the dissonance isa function of the magni- tude of the dissonance: (4) to reduce the disso- 22 nance, one or more of the elements involved in the dissonant relation must be changed; and (S) if the dissonance relates to the behavior, be- havior changes in line with cognitions, \(such that if the environmental element in the disso- nant relation can not be changed, then behavior must be changed in response to the environment in order to reduce the dissonance).:50 Thus, the direction of behavior was hypothesized to be in opposition to the external forces, as represented by the physical environmental stim- ulae. SUMMARY The above discusshmw was thereby employed as a foundation for the hypotheses and design for this study. The approach to the study of the physical environment was assumed as behavior- ally based. Attitude was assumed to be linked to behavior, to exist in response to environ- mental stimulae, and to be measurable. The physical environment was believed to have an effect CH1 behavior and on attitude. And, fin- ally, the behavioral response to stimulae of the physical environment was assumed to exist in an opposing or balancing manner. III R E S E A R C H D E S I C N The description of the research design was best accomplished in four segments. The first was comprised cfl’ an explanation of the general ap- proach or strategy involved in the design. The second segment consistedcfl’a description of the sourcescfl’data. The third contained an outline of the method of procedure. The fourth segment was concerned with the treatment of the findings. GENERAL APPROACH By employing measurement of attitude expression as an intermediate linkage or common medium be- tween the internal forces that lead to behavior- al outputs and the external forces that result from physical environmental stimulae, the follow- ing process was established in which the design of the space hinged upon behavioral input and in which the designed space would cause predict- able behavioral output. (1) Measurement of the attitudes of occupants to- ward a given activity, the content of fthe activity 23 24 and an array of alternative attributes of space establishing elements, (e.g. various colors, tex- tures, BtCa). (2) Determining and recording of the attitude pro- file toward the activity, and the opposing, or balancing attitude profile toward the activity, (i.e. the Behavior Profile and Balancing Pro- file.) (3) Determining and recording the attitude profile toward each of the alternative attributes of space establishing elements. (4) Matching the profiles of the attitudes toward the alternative attributes of the space estab- lishing elements to the Behavior Profile and the Balancing Profile. (5) Determining the particular alternative attri- butes (i.e. the particular colors, textures, etc. ) whose profiles most closely match the Behavior Profile and the Balancing Profile. (6) Creation of two spaces, (Space "A" and Space "B" ), each containing those attributes whose 25 profiles were found to match the two activity attitude profiles, (the Behavior Profile and the Balancing Profile.) (7) Conducting of the (small group discussion) act- ivity in the two spaces, half of the occupants in one space and half in the other. (8) Measurement of behavioral outputs, in terms of activity achievement, content achievement, and attitude shaping. (9) Determining whether or not statistically sig- nificant differences occurred between behavior in the two spaces, and whether or not those differences were in the direction predicted, (the greater achievement being predicted for occupants in Space "B”, designed according to the Balancing Profile. SOURCES OF DATA The sources of data for this study were human student participants. Volunteer participants were solicited from five class sections of Educa- tion #200, "The Individual and the School", an 26 educational psychology course conducted during the 1968 summer quarter at the College of Edu- cation of Michigan State University. ( See distributed form for solicitation of partici- pants, Appendix A). Each student was asked to volunteer for both the pre-test and the treat- ment phases of the study, and was told that he would be selected for only one of the two phases and that he would be paid a specified sum of money for his participation; eighty-two students volunteered to participate in the research pro- ject. Of the eighty-two volunteers, twenty-two were randomly selected for the pre-test phase. CH‘ the remaining sixty volunteers, thirty were randomly assignedixnone space and thirty to the other. The thirty were further divided into five groupscfl’six students each, according to avail- ability as dictated by their submitted schedules of committments (such as classes, part-time jobs, etc.). Thus, the pre-test group of twenty-two and the ten groups of six were, through random- ization, assumed to be similar. (Psychological personality trait tests were not conducted to discern whether or not the random- ization process had, in fact, randomized. Vis- ual perception of personal traits suggested that visible qualities, such as sex, age, race, etc., were randomized. Thus, on the basis of the pro- bability of randomization, and the visual check, randomization was assumed to have occurred.) METHOD OF PROCEDURE The twenty-two volunteers who were assigned to the pre-test were assembled at various times convenient to them on Monday, June 24th, the se- cond week of the summer quarter. The semantic differential instrument prepared for the study, (see Appendix 8,) was explained to them. Their attitudes toward forty concepts, ( see Appendix C), were obtained by means of displaying photo- graphic slide transparencies of the concepts on a screen and asking the volunteers to mark their reactions to the concept on one of the distri- buted semantic differential forms. Each slide was displayed until all participants had comple- ted and submitted their responses. when the re- sponses to each of the firty concepts had been collected from each of the twenty-two partici- pants, the pre-test was concluded. Employing the results of the data collected during the pre-test phase, the two Spaces in which the treatment phase was to be conducted 28 were designed and constructed. ( See Chapter IV, Findings, Tables I-IV for data: Appendix G for the description of the spaces.) On Mon- day , July 29th, the sixth week of the -:eumeer quarter, each group of six participants was assembled in its assigned room according to the time scheduled. At the start of the first meeting each group was given a sheet of paper containing the general instructions for the group, (see Appendix D.) and a set of program- med tasks , (see Appendix E ,) each task being located ina separate envelope. Each group then began work on their set of tasks until the end of the fifty minute meeting period, at which time their tasks were returned to their containers un- til the next meeting. A total of ten meetings were conducted, beginning on Monday, July 29th, and concluding on Friday, August 9th, the sixth and seventh weeks of the summer quarter. Each of the first nine meetings was tape recorded in order to facilitate analysis of interaction at a later time. The post-test was conducted at the tenth meet- ing of each group. The semantic differential instrument prepared for the study, (see Appendix B,) was explained to the participants. Their 29 attitudes toward three concepts, ( see.Appendix F,) were obtained by means of reading a written statementcfi'the concept to the group and asking the participants to mark their reactions to the concept on one of the semantic differential forms. When the responses to each of the three concede had been collected from the participants in each group, the post-test was concluded. TREATMENT OF FINDINGS The pre-test data were employed to determine (1) which colors, forms, values (i.e. light-to-dark gradient), degrees of contrast and scale evoked responses most nearly the same as the attitude responses evoked by the small group discussion activity concept (i.e. which matched the Beha- vior Profile most closely), and (2) which were most nearly the same as the opposite of the at- titude response evoked by the small group dis- cussion activityconcept(i.e. which matched the Balancing Profile most closely). The semantic differential instrument contained twelve variables: the mean score of the twenty- two responses was determined for each variable. For concept responses that were to be compared to the small group discussion activity concept 30 response , the differences between each of the variable scores of the two compared concepts were summed; the color concept response with less dif- ference than other color concept responses was considered most similar to the small group dis- cussion activity concept response, etc. Thus the colors, textures, forms, values, contrast and scale degrees with the lowest differences were considered to evoke the most similar responses to the small group discussion activity response. The opposite response to the small group dis- cussion response was determined by subtracting the mean score for each of the twelve variables from the number four, the middle or "neutral" score on the instrument, and adding that differ- ence to the number four. In this way the "mir- tor-image” response about the neutral axis was determined and was considered as the opposite or balancing response to the one evoked by the small group discussion activity concept. Com- parison to other concepts was accomplished by the same process as described above in relation to the response to the small group discussion activity concept. The treatment data were employed to determine 31 (1) the quantity and quality of interaction, and (2) achievement one series of programmed educa- tional tasks. The quantity of interaction was determined by counting the number of separate responses initiated. The quality of interact- ion was examined by means of a category system developed by Bales.“ Due to instability in group organization during the early meetings, data were considered for both the nine day per- iod of measurement and for the last seven meet- ings only. The achievement on the programmed series of education tasks was determined by a summation of the scores attained on each task, as described in the task instruction sheet, ( see Appendix E). The post-test data were employed in: determine (1) the effect of the treatment on attitudes toward the educational psychology subject mat- ter and the small group discussion activity concept , and (2) the similarity between the reaponses evoked by the spaces and the responses, (Behavior Profile,) and the opposite responses , (Balancing Profile,) toward the small group dis- cussion activity concept determined at the pre- test. The mean of each variable in the responses toward the small group discussion activity con- cept, the educational psychology subject matter 32 concept, and the meeting place was determined for the participants who met in each space. The Fisher-Student "t" testftu*statistical signifi- cance was employed to determine whether or not the differences, if any, between the responses of the participants in the two spaces was reli- able. Employing the source cfl’ data, method of proce- dure and treatment of data described above, the pro-test, treatment and post-test phases of the study were conducted and completed. IV FINDINGS Following are the Findings of the study, organ- ized in order of the execution of the study, (i.e. pre-test, treatment and post-test). The statis- tical "t" values and the levels of significance are included in all tables of findings. PRC-TEST The following tables indicate: Table 1, the mean scores of the responses toward forty concepts, plus the ”mirror-image" of the response toward the small group discussion concept; Table 2, the summed differences between the mean response toward the small group discussion activity con- cept and the mean response toward each of the concepts related to the qualitative attributes of space establishing elements; and Table 3, the summed differences between the mean response toward the ”mirror-image" of the small group discussion activity concept and the mean re- sponse toward each cfl’ the concepts related to the qualitative attributescfl’space establishing elements. Based upon the results shown in the 33 33 tables, limitations imposed upon cmnstruction techniques (discussed earlier) and availability of materials, the two treatment spaces were con- structed as immucated in Table 4. (See photo- graphs of each space in Appendix G.) TREATMENT The following tables indicate: Table 5, the characteristics of interaction for the five groups if! each room, (see interaction data for each group per day in Appendix H); and Table 6, the task achievement for each group. POST-TEST The following tables indicate the mean attitude scores of the five groups in each space toward: Table 7, the educational psychology subject mat- ter; Table 8, the small group discussion activity; and Table 9, the space in which the group met. 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Space "8", the Dissonant Space: designed according to closeness "mirror-image” of small group d ty concept, (i.e. to the Balanc Qualitative Space ”A" TERISTICS OF THE ENT SPACES of response to concept, fi.e.to of response to iscussion activi- ing Profile). 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