Research conducted by Smith and O’Brien and published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletinindicates that we get a psychological boost from breaking our established patterns of behavior – which has implications for building flexible use into design, for example. A recent press release from Ohio State reports that, “If you are not enjoying your favorite things as much as you used to, new research suggests a way to break through the boredom: Try the same old things in new ways. Researchers found that people found new enjoyment in popcorn, videos – even water – when they consumed them in unconventional ways…This phenomenon may explain such things as the popularity of ‘pitch black’ restaurants that serve diners in the dark.” A press release issued by Ohio State and discussing these research findings concludes with the recommendation that “if you’re sick of your sofa, try putting it in another room rather than getting rid of it.”
Jeff Grabmeier. 2018. “Why Popcorn Tastes Better When You Eat It With Chopsticks.” Press release, The Ohio State University, https://news.osu.edu/news/2018/06/26/popcorn-chopsticks/
Sally Augustin, PhD,a cognitive scientist, is the editor of Research Design Connections (www.researchdesignconnections.com), a monthly subscription newsletter and free daily blog, where recent and classic research in the social, design, and physical sciences that can inform designers’ work are presented in straightforward language. Readers learn about the latest research findings immediately, before they’re available elsewhere. Sally, who is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association, is also the author of Place Advantage: Applied Psychology for Interior Architecture (Wiley, 2009) and, with Cindy Coleman, The Designer’s Guide to Doing Research: Applying Knowledge to Inform Design (Wiley, 2012). She is a principal at Design With Science (www.designwithscience.com) and can be reached at sallyaugustin@designwithscience.com.