Multisensory environmental perception profiles and perceived restoration in an urban park during transitional seasonal conditions.

INTRODUCTION

Urban environments expose individuals to complex multisensory stimuli that jointly influence psychological experience and wellbeing. Although previous studies have examined thermal, visual, and acoustic factors separately, less is known about how these sensory dimensions are jointly perceived and associated with perceived restoration. This study investigated multisensory environmental perception patterns and their association with perceived restoration in an urban park during the autumn-winter transitional season.

METHODS

A field survey involving 261 participants was conducted in a lakeside urban park in Changsha, China. Subjective evaluations of thermal, visual, and acoustic comfort, perceived restoration, and affective responses were collected simultaneously with in situ environmental measurements. Latent profile analysis (LPA) was applied to identify multisensory perception patterns, and multiple linear regression was performed to examine their associations with perceived restoration while controlling for affective, demographic, and environmental variables.

RESULTS

Two multisensory perception patterns were identified, representing integrated and constrained multisensory comfort. Participants belonging to the integrated pattern reported significantly higher perceived restoration than those in the constrained pattern. Positive affect was positively associated with perceived restoration, whereas negative affect showed a negative association. Among the measured environmental variables, only relative humidity exhibited a small but significant association with perceived restoration.

DISCUSSION: The findings suggest that multisensory environmental perception may exhibit recurring perception patterns rather than being fully represented by independent sensory evaluations alone. Restorative experience was associated with both multisensory perception patterns and affective responses. These findings provide empirical support for adopting a multisensory and person-centered perspective when investigating restorative environmental experiences and may inform the design of healthier and more restorative urban public spaces.