Interior Design Research & Evidence-Based Practice 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which data collection tool asks respondents to rate items on a scale from 'strongly agree' to 'strongly disagree'?
- Semantic differential scale
- Likert scale (Correct answer)
- Q-sort method
- Think-aloud protocol
Correct answer: Likert scale
The Likert scale measures attitudes or agreement levels along a symmetric agree–disagree continuum.
Question 2: Circadian rhythm research most directly influences which interior design decision?
- Furniture finishes selection
- Tunable LED lighting specification (Correct answer)
- Acoustic ceiling tile choice
- Flooring material durability rating
Correct answer: Tunable LED lighting specification
Tunable LED systems can shift color temperature throughout the day to support the body's natural sleep-wake cycle, informed by circadian science.
Question 3: A designer reviewing the WELL Building Standard is primarily seeking evidence-based guidance on:
- Structural load calculations for interior partitions
- How the built environment affects human health and well-being (Correct answer)
- Historic preservation requirements for renovation projects
- Energy code compliance for mechanical systems
Correct answer: How the built environment affects human health and well-being
The WELL Standard establishes performance requirements across concepts like air, water, nourishment, light, and mind to promote occupant health.
Question 4: In qualitative research, 'saturation' refers to the point at which:
- Survey response rates exceed 80%
- No new themes emerge from additional data collection (Correct answer)
- Statistical significance is achieved at p < 0.05
- All quantitative variables have been measured
Correct answer: No new themes emerge from additional data collection
Data saturation signals that gathering more qualitative data would yield no new insights, indicating sufficient depth of understanding.
Question 5: The Hawthorne effect is a concern in interior design research because it describes how:
- Natural light levels change with the seasons, skewing lighting studies
- Participants alter their behavior simply because they know they are being observed (Correct answer)
- Older buildings produce unreliable baseline data
- Color samples appear different under artificial versus natural light
Correct answer: Participants alter their behavior simply because they know they are being observed
Awareness of being studied can cause people to change their behavior, potentially confounding research findings.
Question 6: Which type of sampling selects participants to ensure specific subgroups (e.g., age, gender) are proportionally represented?
- Convenience sampling
- Snowball sampling
- Stratified random sampling (Correct answer)
- Purposive sampling
Correct answer: Stratified random sampling
Stratified random sampling divides the population into subgroups and randomly samples from each to ensure representativeness.
Question 7: A designer cites a white paper funded entirely by a flooring manufacturer to justify a product specification. The primary concern with this source is:
- White papers are not peer-reviewed and may reflect the funder's commercial interests (Correct answer)
- White papers use only qualitative methods unsuitable for product testing
- White papers are not indexed in academic databases
- White papers are only valid for residential projects
Correct answer: White papers are not peer-reviewed and may reflect the funder's commercial interests
Industry-funded research can contain bias favoring the sponsor's products; peer-reviewed, independent studies provide stronger evidence.
Interior Design Research & Evidence-Based Practice 3
Which data collection tool asks respondents to rate items on a scale from 'strongly agree' to 'strongly disagree'?