Introduction
1.2
Structure of the Thesis
This thesis begins investigation by referring to the existing evidence of environmental impact on emotions, not as an extensive literature review, but as a frame of reference for the work to follow. Next the ideas of interactive environments in the context of current technological development will be examined, followed by discussion on the emotional dimensions of architecture. An overview of how emotion is being utilized in Software Engineering follows as a contemporary example of another field that has used technology to deal with emotions as input. The well-established methods for examining emotions and quantifying them in Psychology and Cognitive Science are then brought into the exploration, not as a comprehensive review but a reference as to what methods were informative for the methodology of this thesis. Relevant projects that showcase interactive environments with emotional implications or impact are referenced. Following this state of the art is a close look at the methodology used to build the aforementioned prototype. The design approach rationale is first illuminated as an overall systems design pieced together from the previous research topics, then followed by specific descriptions of the as-built prototype. The design documentation showcases two different hypothetical user outcomes and the interactive, spatial environment they encounter based on their differing emotions. An appendix of the data-base built and used in the prototype is organized in the appendix. The thesis concludes with discussion and implications.
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