Social attributions based on domestic interiors

The paper considers the social attributions people derive from domestic interiors using an open-ended, non-prescriptive methodology. Using 26 photographs of living rooms, chosen to represent a variety of,interior styles, 36 participants were asked to classify the rooms in terms of the people they thought might inhabit them, using the Multiple Sorting Procedure. The results show that people are able to derive hypotheses regarding the social and personal aspects of the inhabitants from the design of the room; from the occupants' age, occupation and wealth to their personality, aspirations, hobbies and lifestyles. Analysis of the data using Multidimensional Scalogram Analysis shows that the constructs age, social class and family status account for the overall structure of the classifications. The theoretical implications are discussed. (C) 2000 Academic Press.