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Exercised control, lighting choices, and energy use: an office simulation experiment

From National Research Council Canada

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DOIResolve DOI: https://doi.org/10.1006/jevp.1999.0169
AuthorSearch for: 1; Search for: 1
Affiliation
  1. National Research Council of Canada. NRC Institute for Research in Construction
FormatText, Article
SubjectLighting and health; Office lighting; Energy efficiency
Abstract
The belief that individual control leads to beneficial behavioural outcomes underlies many recommendations to install individual controls for workplace lighting, temperature, and ventilation in workplaces. The present experiment compared the work performance and satisfaction of 47 office workers who were given choices concerning workplace lighting (CS) with age- and sex-matched partners (PP) who were given no choices but worked under identical lighting. Preferred luminous conditions were recorded for both groups. Satisfaction with lighting and the work environment were high for both groups, and the majority of participants chose lighting conditions consistent with current codes and standards for lighting, including energy use. CS participants had greater perceived control than PP participants, but there were no differences in satisfaction, mood, performance or health. PP participants' lighting choices, recorded at the end of the day-long session, created less VDT glare than CS choices. Although there was no short-term benefit of perceived control over lighting, it appears that experience with workplace conditions could lead to the ability to reduce unpleasant conditions if choices were available.
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  • Journal of Environmental Psychology 20, no. Sept 3 (1 September 2000): 219–237.
NoteAlso presented at American Psychological Association 106th Annual Convention, San Francisco, August 1998.
LanguageEnglish
Peer reviewedYes
NRC numberNRCC 42632
NRC-IRC-9223
NPARC number20331292
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Record identifier26947514-5c02-4eed-a5a9-94bb3eb20491
Record created2012-07-18
Record modified2020-03-26
Date modified: