Evidence collected by Miller and Krizan confirms the value of incorporating opportunities to walk into spaces. The team found “that walking incidental to routine activity (heretofore referred to as ‘incidental ambulation’) – not specifically ‘exercise’ – is a robust facilitator of positive affect [mood].” In short, “incidental ambulation systematically promotes positive affect…it can override the effects of other [emotions] such as boredom and dread.” Positive moods have repeatedly been linked to better problem solving, creative thinking, getting along with others, and health.
Jeffrey Miller and Zlatan Krizan. “Walking Facilitates Positive Affect (even When Expecting the Opposite).” Emotion, in press.
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.