Dissertation_Anya

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Written and Illustrated by Anya Moreton Figure 4

Preface The aims of the research paper are to discover some of the main causes of stress, ways in which it may be alleviated and how the interior of a space can impact on customer mood. The paper will discuss issues regarding stress in individuals, where it is derived from and how people can be helped. It will focus particularly on the consumer’s surrounding environment, and the use of different elements of an interior space that have an impact on people’s moods and emotions. This will inform the primary research with the purpose of gaining an understanding into how people’s stress levels can be altered through their surroundings.

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Figure 3 Yildirim et al. state that, ‘Atmospheric attributes for interior spaces consist of three components: ambient factors (temperature, noise, scent, music and lighting), design factors (architecture, colour, materials, pattern, texture, and layout of the store), and social factors (customers and employees).’3 This research paper will focus on how interior designers can use specific atmospheric attributes to impact customer mood by comparing calming and more stressful environments. More mindful design choices will ultimately have a positive impact on the customer’s mental health and well-being. Furthermore, the paper will investigate how it is possible for designers to create relaxing environments, how previous design decisions have been influenced by designers and which decisions are the most effective in boosting customer mood.

Intro According to Meichenbaum and Jaremko, ‘The term stress has become a rallying cry and the anti-stress industry has become immense. The current vogue of stress-reduction clinics, physical fitness classes, yoga sessions, meditation lectures, various forms of psychotherapy, prescription drugs, and so forth - each with its unique view of stress and coping - is ever expanding.’1 This implies that there is a clear connection between a person’s emotional state and their immediate environment. There is strong evidence to suggest that taking part in specific stress relieving activities greatly benefits the state of an individual’s mental health. Sin and Lyubomirsky draw attention to the positive effects of interventions that include ‘positive activities and mindfulness exercises on wellbeing.’2 This essentially highlights that an individual’s chosen activities have a significant impact on their mental health. Additionally, the environment that these activities are undertaken in are inextricably linked; this will be further explored throughout the research paper.

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