Simulating in-store lighting and temperature with visual aids: methodological propositions and S–O–R effects

Abstract

Lighting and temperature are two important stimuli in sensory marketing. However, these stimuli have not yet been studied in controlled retail environments. The objective of this research is twofold: (1) to propose a methodology to infer the effect of different levels of lighting and temperature in a controlled environment with visual aids and (2) to test the impact of these simulated stimuli on environmental perceptions and behavioral intentions, following a Stimulus–Organism–Response model. This model postulates that stimuli should influence internal responses which in turn shall have an impact on behavioral responses. This research is based on the encoding and retrieval literature as well as the literature in physics, ergonomics and environmental psychology. In Study 1, we manipulated lighting and temperature levels in digital photographic images, using relevant cues (illuminance and color temperature for lighting; clothing and activity level for temperature). A between-subjects design experiment was carried out over 387 respondents: two simulated levels of lighting (bright cool light and soft warm light) × two simulated levels of temperature (slightly warm temperature and slightly cool temperature) × three types of stores (jeans store, bookstore, and furniture store). We found that under these simulated conditions, the participants accurately perceived the differences of lighting and temperature levels, as we predicted. In Study 2, the same photographs were used in a within-between subjects design over 110 participants and 330 observations. We tested the impact of these simulated stimuli on environmental perceptions (stimulating and relaxing) and behavioral intentions (intention to buy and intention to spend time in the store). Both a bright cool light and a slightly warm temperature had a stimulating effect on participants’ store perception. Under these conditions, participants also increased their intentions to buy and to spend time in the store. The stimulative perception mediates the relationship between (1) lighting and both intention to spend time in the store and purchase intention and (2) temperature and intention to spend time in the store. These results confirm the benefit of using digitally manipulated stimuli with photographs in controlled environments.

Keywords:

• simulated lighting
• simulated temperature
• visual aids
• virtual store
• S–O–R model

Notes

^1. Ambient fluorescent tubes lighting in retail stores is commonly bright cool lighting. Governments progressively ban incandescent light bulbs, which are replaced by energy savings bulbs. These bulbs can be used for accent lighting in retail stores, and can possibly be bright or soft and warm or cool.

^2. ISO 7730 and revised ASHRAE 55-2004 standards are based on the thermal comfort indices PMV-predicted percentage of dissatisfied (PPD). Predicted mean vote predicts the mean value of the votes of a large group of persons on a seven-point thermal sensation scale (3 = hot, 2 = warm, 1 = slightly warm, 0 = neural, − 1 = slightly cool, − 2 = cool, and − 3 = cold). Predicted percentage of dissatisfied predicts the percentage of thermally dissatisfied people. Predicted mean vote and PPD depend on typical levels of activity and thermal insulation for clothing.

^3. It should be noticed that in Study 1, experiment 1, our cells are not equal considering gender, thus this variable did not have a significant effect on the perception of lighting (all p's>0.16) and is not considered further. As for Study 1, experiment 2, gender did not have a significant effect on the perception of temperature (all p's>0.3) and is not considered further.

^4. Baron and Kenny's tests for mediation: for lighting, when we test mediating effects of stimulation, the relationship between stimulating dimension and intention to spend time remains significant (F(1, 328) = 136.5, p = 0.000), whereas the effect of lighting on intention to spend time is not significant (F(1, 328) = 0.016, p = 0.899); the stimulating-buying intention relationship continues to be significant (F(1, 328) = 84, p = 0.000), whereas the effect of lighting on buying intention is no longer significant (F(1, 328) = 2.53, p = 0.112). For temperature, when stimulation is accounted for, the relationship between stimulating and intention to spend time is still significant (F(1, 328) = 139.87, p = 0.000) and the relationship between temperature and intention to spend time is non-significant (F(1, 328) = 2.90, p = 0.089); the relationship between the relaxing dimension and the intention to spend time is still significant (F(1, 328) = 4.91, p = 0.027) and the relationship between temperature and intention to spend time also remains very significant (F(1, 328) = 156.4, p = 0.000). Therefore, results demonstrate full mediation effects for all mediators except for the relaxing mediator.