Emotional responses of college students to filtered fluorescent lighting in a classroom (v3)
Background
Classroom lighting, usually bright fluorescent light, can significantly influence the learning environment and emotions of students.
Objective
To assess the emotional impact of classroom lighting on students during an academic year.
Methods
This study used an ABAB withdrawal research design in the following manner: in phase A, the baseline condition, classroom lighting was provided by conventional overhead white fluorescent classroom lights; in phase B, the intervention condition, the conventional overhead white fluorescent classroom lights were covered with fabric filters (thin, translucent, creamy-colored plastic sheets) that were attached to the lighting fixture frame with magnetic discs. The filters produced softer light in the classroom than the fluorescent lights. Each phase lasted for at least 2 weeks. During each phase, students rated 18 pairs of words from the Mehrabian and Russell pleasure, arousal, and dominance semantic differential scale at least four times to assess the emotional impact of the lighting conditions.
Results
For all three emotional behaviors, the mean score of the filtered fluorescent light phase was significantly greater than the mean score of the baseline unfiltered fluorescent lighting phase, indicating more positive emotional responses. Students also noted they experienced fewer headaches and found it easier to see the whiteboard at the front of the classroom when the light filters were in place.
Conclusion
The light filters exerted a positive impact on the students’ emotions. Students preferred the filtered lighting to fluorescent lighting. This study supports the installation of filters over fluorescent lights in a college classroom.
1. Brink HW, Loomans MGLC, Mobach MP, Kort HSM. Classrooms' indoor environmental conditions affecting the academic achievement of students and teachers in higher education: A systematic literature review. Indoor Air. 2021;31(2):405-425. doi:10.1111/in a.12745
2. Sun B, Zhang Q, Cao S. Development and implementation of a self-optimizable smart lighting system based on learning context in classroom. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2020;17(4):1217. doi:10.3390/ijerph17041217
3. Leccese F, Salvadori G, Rocca M, Buratti C, Belloni E. A method to assess lighting quality in educational rooms using analytic hierarchy process. Building and Environment. 2020;168:106501. doi:10.1016/j.buildenv.2019.106501
4. Knez I. Affective and cognitive reactions to subliminal flicker from fluorescent lighting. Consciousness and Cognition. 2014;26(1):97-104. doi:10.1016/j.concog.2014.02.006
5. Hsieh CM, Wu TL, Jayakumar J, et al. Diboron-Based Delayed Fluorescent Emitters with Orange-to-Red Emission and Superior Organic Light-Emitting Diode Efficiency. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2020;12(20):23199-23206. doi:10.1021/acsami.0c03711
6. Chaari MZ, Aljabri H, Al-Rahimi R, Abdelfatah M. Acquiring energy from the harmful radiation emitted by compact fluorescent lamps. Adv Sci Technol Eng Syst J. 2019;4(2):314-318. doi:10.25046/aj040240
7. Pulay A, Williamson A. A case study comparing the influence of LED and fluorescent lighting on early childhood student engagement in a classroom setting. Learning Environ Res. 2019;22(1):13-24. doi:10.1007/s10984-018-9263-3
8. Hartstein LE, LeBourgeois MK, Berthier NE. Light correlated color temperature and task switching performance in preschool-age children: Preliminary insights. PLoS ONE. 2018;13(8):e0202973. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0202973
9. Castilla N, Llinares C, Bisegna F, Blanca-Giménez V. Emotional evaluation of lighting in university classrooms: A preliminary study. Frontiers of Architectural Research. 2018;7(4):600-609. doi:10.1016/j.foar.2018.07.002
10. Gentile N, Goven T, Laike T, Sjoberg K. A field study of fluorescent and LED classroom lighting. Lighting Research & Technology. 2018;50(4):631-650. doi:10.1177/1477153516675911
11. Raditschova J, Gasparovsky D. Critical Analysis of Cost Benefits of LED Retrofits in Indoor Lighting. Published online 2018. doi:10.1109/lumenv.2018.8521005
12. Top Classroom Light Filters That Totally Transform Lighting. myTechClassroom.com. Accessed June 1, 2021. https://mytechclassroom.com/best-light-filters/
13. Wenjing D, Qiuping L, Runzhao QI, Huang K. Research on the Current Situation and Improvement Strategy of Light Environment in College Classroom. Published online 2020. doi:10.1088/1755-1315/531/1/012045
14. Mogas-Recalde J, Palau R. Classroom lighting and its effect on student learning and performance: Towards smarter conditions. Published online 2021. doi:10.1007/978-981-15-7383-5_1
15. Russell JA, Mehrabian A. Evidence for a three-factor theory of emotions. Journal of Research in Personality. 1977;11(3):273-294. doi:10.1016/0092-6566(77)90037-x
16. Hall M, Elliott K, Meng J. Using the PAD (Pleasure, Arousal, and Dominance) model to explain Facebook attitudes and use intentions. The Journal of Social Media in Society. 2017;6(1):144-169.
17. Briki W, Majed L. Adaptive effects of seeing green environment on psychophysiological parameters when walking or running. Front Psychol. 2019;10(FEB):252. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00252
18. Khan RQ, Khan WQ, Kaleem M, Ahmed A. A proposed model of a color harmonizer application. Published online 2013. doi:10.1109/icict.2013.673278