1

Personality factors:
Factor 1: Gathering Energy
it is described 1that there are two extremes types of people, and also, there are others
who are in-betweens. 2The two types are:
Extroverts: People who draw energy from the world around them.
Introverts: People who are drained by the world around them and who draw energy from
within themselves.
Table 1: Introverts and Extraverts psychological needs satisfied through space design.
Introverts
1- Do a better job of detecting incoming information
than extraverts. Are not keen on spaces that differ
over time.
2- Like other people, they’re not social pariahs.
They simply want to be able to interact with
others as they choose to do so.
3- Prefer to sit in some sort of furniture arrangement
that allows them to gracefully look away if they
want to break eye contact. A window or painting
in view provides just such an opportunity.
Movable seats are popular with introverts—that
way, they can back away from an extravert who
has strayed into their personal no-go zone.
4- Prefers an oblong table to around one; round
tables encourage interpersonal interaction, and
they make extraverts very happy, but all that
forced togetherness can make introvert tense.
5- Introverts prefer homes with more clearly
defined, separate spaces for particular activities
and people.
6- Prefer wider walkways than extraverts—they
make it easier to look away from approaching
people, if necessary. They are more interested in
blocking sound from other people than extraverts
are.
7- A less stimulating environment is great for an
introvert—they do a fine job of entertaining
themselves.
Extroverts
1- Like spaces that change.
2- Are more interested in displaying objects that tell
other people things about themselves that they
find important—after -all, that might spark
conversation!
3- Like to be close to other people and to establish
and maintain eye contact with them. When they
are furnishing their homes, extraverts prefer to
use more couches in their living rooms than
introverts. Extroverts favor more open seating
arrangements—that means there aren’t pieces of
furniture between people who are carrying on a
conversation.
4- Would not be pleased to find a tall sturdy table
between himself and a conversation partner.
5- Extraverts choose more open home floor plans,
where one space blends into the next.
6- When need to concentrate must sit SO that they
can’t see other people or overhear conversations
that they might feel compelled to participate in.
These isolated spaces need the high level of
stimulation that extraverts crave, however.
Putting an extravert in a beige box will motivate
him to find additional environmental stimulation,
probably by getting up and walking around.
Trying to sit still and Concentrate just doesn’t
work for an extravert. Sitting still without
adequate inputfrom the environment makes he
distracted and tense—and unable concentrate.
7- Relish being in sensory rich spaces with multiple
vibrant colors, louder and faster music, more
extreme textures, curving paths, and dramatic
incense.

1
Jung, Carl: an early psychologist interested in personality, focused on understanding how humans differ on
this continuum. He called some people whose draw energy from the people and things around them
(Extraverts) and other people are drained by being around other people (Introverts).
2
Myers, I., McCaulley, M., Quenk,N., and Hammer, A.. MBTI Manual. Mountain View, CA:CPP.2003
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Factor 2: Processing Information

Processing information is mainly divided to two types of personality3
Explicit processors: are more likely to take in information in a straightforward way.
Implicit operators: Are more likely to put their own spin on the situation.4

Table 2: Explicit Processors and Implicit operator’s psychological needs satisfied through space design. 5
Explicit processors:
1-prefer symmetrical floor plans (at least in their homes).
2- Enjoy more classic styles in furniture.
3- are more apt to choose to live in colonial farmhouse-style
interiors, for example.
4- are more aware of their immediate surroundings than
implicit. For example; While an explicit is deciding
Whether something is hard or soft, an implicit will be
deciding whether like the one in his grandma’s house.
5- Are more concerned with how useful an item is.
6- Focus on individual components of a place.
Implicit operator:
1-enjoy being in spaces that are more unconventional.
2- are more adventurous in their decorating tastes.
3- are more likely to select contemporary or modern
interiors.
4- Are likely to be distracted from their immediate sensory
experiences’ mental associations with their surroundings.
5- When add something to their environment, their mental
associations with it must be appropriately relaxing, or
inspirational, or welcoming or whatever the space they are
designing requires.
6- Are more concerned with the aesthetics of an object, are
more likely to think about a space holistically.

Factor 3: Managing Life

Managing life factor is explained by two types:
Planners: are more concerned about living organized lives.
Improvisers: prefer to live more spontaneously.

Table 3: Planners and Improvisers psychological needs satisfied through space design.6
Planners:
1- Simply need spaces that allow them to organize their things and be efficient.
Improvisers:
2- Prefer spaces that are more casual and more original and lighthearted than the sorts of spaces desired
by planners.
3- They aren’t organized, although they may try to be. Keep their lives in order with physical reminders
of various sorts, so they need space to arrange or display these reminders. This may mean that they
need bulletin board space to pin up bills to be paid and counter space for piles, for example.
4- Tend to be more frantic as deadlines approach, so their workspaces can’t be too stimulating.
5- More likely to lose focus than planners, so their environments must have the capacity to shield them
from distracting elements.
6- Tend to gather more physical material before making a decision than planners, SO they need space
to lay out all that stuff while making a decision. They also need a place to store all the collected items
once the decision is made.
7- Keep a lot of things that “might be useful in the future”, so they need more space than planners for
clothes, household objects, and “stuff’ in general.

3
There is always a third type of people which in-betweens.
4
Ibid.
5
Tieger, P., and Barron, b. Do what you are? 4thed. New York: Little, Brown and Company.2007
6
Myers, I., McCaulley, M., Quenk,N., and Hammer, A. MBTI Manual. Mountain View, 2003 CA:CPP. Tieger, P.,
and Barron, b.Do what you are? 4thed. New York: Little, Brown and Company.2007
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Factor 4: Reacting to Events

Reacting to Events could be explained by studying the environmental sensitivity of people.
Environmental Sensitivity: People who are more sensitive to sensory input need
environments that reduce or blunt the stimulation they experience.7
Table 4: More Environmental sensitivity psychological needs satisfied through space design.
More Environmental Sensitivity
1-In bed Rooms: should make sure that have heavy drapes that can be closed at night so morning sunlight and
singing birds do not wake them up too early. Background white noise, either official white noise or quietly
played music they enjoy, should be available in their bedrooms. It will mask noises that may hinder falling
asleep. This same soundtrack is useful in spaces where they need to concentrate, such as in their office.
2-In office: Prefer to study or do thoughtful work in an isolated or screened spot. In this way they are like
introverts.8 Sights and sounds not related to their project at hand are more distracting to these people than to
people not as sensitive.
Generally, they also benefit from the use of sound-absorbing materials in their homes and offices—they
should carpet floors, for example, and purchase Upholstered furniture. Restorative experiences are
particularly important to people who sensitive to environmental stimuli. Views of nature, fish tanks, and flan
replenish stocks of mental energy.

Factor 5: Directing Life

Undeniable Individuals can feel more or less in control of their own destiny. Generally
People who fall more heavily into the “control own fate” category require more flexibility in
their environments than people “controlled by fate.”

Table 5: Control own fate and controlled by fate psychological needs satisfied through space design.9
control own fate Controlled by fate.
1-Prefer to modify their places to meet their current needs. 1- More likely to Create a particular space and then to
They select furniture they can move and several different continue to use it once it becomes familiar. They are
ways. They enjoy owning a table they can be set at several also likely to have a number of personal mementos of
different heights and that can function as a coffee table, a various sorts that they want to display, so ample to
buffet table, and a craft area, for example. Prefer the same display these items should be included in spaces that
sorts of open Seating arrangements (in office environments) belong to them.
that extraverts do. 2-prefer spaces that are more curvilinear, according
2-Prefer environments with more linear elements. No organic, to a classic study by Juhasz and Paxson (1978).
marshmallow-soft sofas. Prefer curtains vertical pleats that organic, marshmallow-soft sofas
fall to the floor to looping curtains pulled to one side with
tiebacks.
3-Are more concerned with preserving the natural
environment than those who are not. This has repercussions
for material selections and incorporation of environmentally
responsible design principles in place plans.

7
Augustin, Sally. Place Advantage ”Applied Psychology for interior Architecture”, John WILEY & Sons,2009 P 95.
8
Introversion is distinct from environmental sensitivity. Introverts want to be less sensorial rich environments,
while people who are environmentally sensitive need to shield themselves from sensations they find undesirable.
Introversion is a broader concept than environmental sensitivity.
9
Juhasz, J., and Paxson, L. (1978).“Personality and Preference for Architectural Style.” Perceptual and motor skills P 47:
241-2
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Factor 6—Monitoring Others

Monitoring others mainly divided to two extremes:
Higher external monitors regulate their behaviour based on information they receive from
their social environments.
Lower external monitors find similar sorts of guidance within themselves.
Table 6: “Higher and lower External monitoring” psychological needs. Source: Researcher.
Higher external monitoring
1-The symbolic messages that objects send are of paramount import to them.
2- May be much attuned to what is currently fashionable and they, in general, are quick to copy behaviors of
others that they find pleasant or useful.
3- Are very motivated to make a good impression and act in a way that others feel is appropriate.
Lower external monitoring
Generally, are less concerned about other people’s opinions.

Factor 7—Seeking Exhilaration

Some people are more exhilarated by strong Sensory inputs than others. People who get more
positive charge from exciting activities are sensation seekers. And that can be explained by
studying the psychological needs of the two extremes.
Table 7: “Sensation Seeking” Psychological needs. Source: Researcher.
Higher sensation seeking
1-These people enjoy being on roller coasters or visiting new places.
2- They find exhilarating enjoy being in more sensorial intense places, with louder levels of background noise,
stronger scents, brighter colors, and stronger lighting, for example. They also categorize messy rooms more
positively than neat rooms.
3- In the less neat conditions, a larger amount of information is convoyed visually; there is a more varied range
of objects visible. Messier spaces are also re visually complex—ideal conditions for the high Sensation seeker.
4- People higher on sensation seeking are more likely to multitask than people who score lower on this
dimension.
5- High sensation seekers have a bias toward looking at the right side of anything or any space, while the
general population is biased toward the left side of a space (i.e., they see the middle as more toward the left
than it actually is). This means that high sensation seekers are more apt to favor items toward the right and to
place favored items toward the right.
Lower sensation seeking
1-Interested in sensation seeking do the reverse.
2-Low sensation seekers prefer more orderly types of environments, containing less varied assortments of
items.
3-Low sensation seekers tend to feel that spaces are larger than high sensation seekers do because they focus
less on the objects within the spaces and more on the room volumes themselves.