Abstract

Background/Objectives: Discrepancies between measured indoor temperature and perceived comfort in hospital settings raise concerns about the role of visual environment in shaping sensory perception and psychological well-being. This study examined the effects of wall finish, wall color, and color temperature on thermal perception, visual perception, affect, perceived restoration, and EEG responses in patient rooms using virtual reality. Methods: In total, 192 participants were assigned to either a 20 °C or 25 °C ambient-temperature condition and exposed to one of 12 virtual patient-room scenes in a between-subjects experiment. Pre- and post-experimental survey data and EEG data were analyzed. Results: Compared with those tested at 20 °C, participants tested at 25 °C underestimated room temperature more and rated wall finish, wall color, and color temperature as more visually comfortable. At 20 °C, participants exposed to the latex paint finish condition rated the wall finish as visually more comfortable and reported greater willingness to rest than those in the vinyl wallcovering condition; however, EEG regression showed higher occipital alpha/beta ratio index values for vinyl wallcovering, indicating a relaxation-related EEG response. Under both temperature conditions, yellow walls led to warmer temperature estimation than blue or white walls. At 20 °C, warm color temperature produced warmer thermal sensation, more visually comfortable color-temperature ratings, higher room pleasantness, and greater willingness to rest than cool color temperature. Conclusions: Differences in perceptual, psychological, and EEG responses to patient-room visual environment should be interpreted together with ambient-temperature conditions in healthcare settings.

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