No abstract

Converging visual behavioural and attentional allocation studies within neuroscience have shown culture influences the processing of visual information obtained from the visual field. While attending (reviewing) a visual scene, individuals from a collectivist culture attend more to the context (background) compared to those from an individualist culture who view more the focal object. This highlights the effect of cultural conditioning in terms of holistic and analytical processing of visual information. The aim of this study was to demonstrate these principles in the context of an assistive product, a wheelchair, highlighting the key visual elements of the form; and, how a congruent background (hospital room) or incongruent (athletics track) influenced cultural bias during visual processing and assigned meaning. Material and Methods: A combination of research methods (Semantic Differential scale and Eye-tracking) was used to triangulate the results. A total of 126 adult student participants, (Pakistani/collectivist, N=57) and the (UK/ individualist, N=69), viewed a visual presentation of a wheelchair with semantically congruent and then an incongruent background and responded via online questionnaire. A sub-sample completed the survey whilst monitored via eye-tracking.Results: Pakistani respondents used shorter and less frequent fixations on the foreground compared to the responses of their counterparts (UK respondents). The wheel of the wheelchair was highlighted as the prominent form by both groups. Conclusion:Results demonstrate a culture-influenced pattern of visual processing even when the product was displayed against a semantically incongruent background. The findings from this study also validate and extend the outcomes of similar studies revealing a more specific, yet consistent, cultural effect on individuals' visual perception. Finally, the efficacy of triangulated research methods in its relationship to explore the AT product's semantics was discussed.

Air movement in any space is one of the main factors of Human thermal comfort for the occupants. It is also related with the type of activity in that space, clothing the occupants are wearing and the ambient air temperature that particular space has. Wales Millennium Centre (main Theatre) is designed for multiple performances-based activities. In the recent years, it has been observed that when the main curtain of a stage is lifted, there is always a huge down draught of air coming towards the front rows of seating area, making it uncomfortable for the spectators sitting there. In this paper, multiple Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) simulations are performed using Win Air4 software. The research found that most of the time the ventilation system was working well but noticed a higher temperature at the back-seating area of the hall. The paper suggests appropriate locations of inlets and outlets which should have been given to address this issue. The paper presents some viable solutions for the uncomfortable conditions that can be improved by providing more supply of air at the backseating area and extract points at the top of the main ceiling, by providing cooling fins under the ceilings and keeping the stage air supply off as per the results of simulations discussed.