Native influences on the construction of thermal sensation scales

Thermal scales assess thermal environments in terms of thermal sensation and comfort. The number of scale’s categories and their verbal realization/labels, especially when translated for local applications, are subjects of research. This study examined variations from the ISO 10551 thermal scale when translated into Greek language. We conducted an online survey asking participants to translate the English ISO 10551 scale, develop their own scales (five, seven and nine-point), report a wording for thermal comfort, and assign discrete values to scales’ categories proportional to their perceived distances. Overall, 357 participants enrolled in the survey while data from 321 questionnaires included in the analysis. The interpretations of ISO 10551 categories varied (6–18) although the majority consisted of the exact translation. The wordings of the formulated scales differed from ISO 10551 scale indicating a more intense expression mode. The labels overlapped in the extreme categories of the nine-point scale supporting the use of the seven-point scale. Most participants (~ 65%) reported thermal comfort equivalent to neutrality. About half of the participants reported equal distances between the categories of the scales. The results can be applied on thermal sensation studies having a possible impact on the use of outdoor spaces under various contexts, i.e., public health, urban design, and energy conservation.