The role of personality in multi-domain environmental perception: An occupant-centric approach

The built environment accounts for nearly one-third of global energy demand, underscoring the need to enhance building performance through strategies that integrate both technological solutions and human factors. Occupants play a pivotal role in this process, as their comfort and well-being are shaped by complex interactions across multiple environmental domains. This study investigates cross-domain effects between thermal and acoustic environments, with a specific focus on how personality traits modulate perceptual responses. An experimental campaign was conducted in a controlled test room under two thermal conditions: a neutral phase (21 °C) and a mild discomfort phase (23 °C). In each phase, 25 participants evaluated seven soundscapes with distinct acoustic characteristics, ranging from natural to anthropogenic. Continuous monitoring of environmental parameters ensured accurate boundary conditions, while personality traits were assessed to capture inter-individual variability. Results show that even slight thermal variations influence acoustic perception, producing systematic negative shifts in the evaluation of the main soundscape's descriptors across phases. Cluster analysis of personality traits identified two groups: one with higher emotional stability and openness, and another with stronger neurotic tendencies. These groups exhibited divergent perceptual patterns, with neurotic individuals reporting greater sensitivity to anthropic and chaotic soundscapes, and emotionally stable participants showing stronger appreciation for natural ones. Overall, the findings demonstrate that occupant perception cannot be understood through single-domain analyses alone. Integrating cross-domain interactions and personality-driven variability into adaptive comfort models and occupant-centric design strategies is essential to support buildings that are both energy-efficient and responsive to human diversity.