Interior Design Research & Evidence-Based Practice 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which measure of central tendency is most resistant to the influence of extreme outlier values in a dataset?
- Mean
- Median (Correct answer)
- Mode
- Range
Correct answer: Median
The median, as the middle value, is not pulled by extreme scores the way the mean is, making it more robust to outliers.
Question 2: A designer wants to understand why employees avoid a newly designed break room. Which method would provide the richest contextual insight?
- Online Likert-scale survey
- In-depth semi-structured interviews with employees (Correct answer)
- Reviewing the room's energy consumption data
- Measuring ambient noise levels with a decibel meter
Correct answer: In-depth semi-structured interviews with employees
Semi-structured interviews allow participants to explain nuanced reasons behind behavior in their own words, providing rich qualitative context.
Question 3: The concept of 'affordance' in environmental design research, introduced by James Gibson, refers to:
- The cost effectiveness of a material over its service life
- The action possibilities an object or environment offers to a user (Correct answer)
- The acoustic absorption coefficient of a surface
- The perceived luxury level of a finish material
Correct answer: The action possibilities an object or environment offers to a user
An affordance is a perceived or actual property of an object that signals how it can be used, such as a handle affording pulling.
Question 4: When comparing pre- and post-renovation productivity scores for the same employee group, a designer should use which statistical test?
- Chi-square test of independence
- Paired samples t-test (Correct answer)
- One-way ANOVA
- Pearson correlation coefficient
Correct answer: Paired samples t-test
A paired samples t-test compares two related measurements from the same participants before and after an intervention.
Question 5: The Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture (ANFA) primarily advances research connecting:
- Building code enforcement and legal liability
- Neuroscience findings with architectural and interior design practice (Correct answer)
- Feng shui principles with Western building standards
- Historic preservation techniques with modern renovation methods
Correct answer: Neuroscience findings with architectural and interior design practice
ANFA fosters interdisciplinary inquiry into how brain science can inform the design of healthier, more effective built environments.
Question 6: A reliability coefficient (Cronbach's alpha) of 0.90 for a workplace satisfaction survey indicates:
- 90% of respondents completed the survey
- The instrument has high internal consistency among its items (Correct answer)
- The study achieved a 90% confidence level
- The survey was validated in 90 different workplaces
Correct answer: The instrument has high internal consistency among its items
Cronbach's alpha above 0.80 is generally considered to indicate strong internal consistency, meaning survey items reliably measure the same construct.
Question 7: Which principle from proxemics research, developed by Edward T. Hall, most directly informs the spacing of seating in a collaborative office lounge?
- Gestalt figure-ground perception
- Social distance zones (approximately 4–12 feet for acquaintances) (Correct answer)
- The broken window theory of environmental decay
- Maslow's hierarchy of physiological needs
Correct answer: Social distance zones (approximately 4–12 feet for acquaintances)
Hall identified social distance (roughly 4–12 feet) as the comfortable zone for casual interaction among acquaintances, guiding lounge seat placement.
Interior Design Research & Evidence-Based Practice 5
Which measure of central tendency is most resistant to the influence of extreme outlier values in a dataset?