Effects of color temperature on projected fractal light patterns: visual interest and emotional response

The aim of the present study is to examine the effects of color temperature of projected fractal patterns on visual interest and emotional response in interior spaces. The experiment consisted of two phases, which were carried out with two independent participant groups. In the first phase, the effects of five different complexity levels of two dimensional fractal patterns (D = 1.1, D = 1.3, D = 1.5, D = 1.7, D = 1.9) on visual interest and emotional response were examined. In the second phase, the effects of three different natural light color temperatures (noon sky – 4000K, overcast sky – 6500K, clear sky – 12000K) of three dimensional projected fractal patterns on visual interest and emotional response in interior spaces were evaluated. The participants consisted of sixty undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in İhsan Doğramacı Bilkent University. Results demonstrated that, in the first phase, the most visually interesting fractal pattern was high-complexity D = 1.7. Moreover, the results indicated that the complexity level of fractal patterns had no significant influence on participants’ pleasure state, whereas complexity level had positive significant effects on participants’ arousal state. In the second phase, results indicated that the most visually interesting projected fractal pattern was high complexity D = 1.7 for all color temperatures (4000K, 6500K, & 12000K). Therefore, color temperature had no significant influence on the choice of fractal pattern complexity level in terms of visual interest. Regarding emotional response, the findings also demonstrated that color temperature had no significant influence on pleasure and arousal state. Consequently, the most influential outcome of the study was that, compared with color temperature, complexity level is a more significant factor related to visual interest and emotional response. The findings of the present study guides designers on the implementation of natural light patterns to for visual interesting interior spaces.