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Titre : The Influence Of Demographic And Personality Characteristics On Landscape Preference Among High School Students In Isfahan, Iran

Auteur : Alizadeh, Sima

Université de soutenance : Universiti Sains Malaysia

Grade : Master of Science (MS) 2015

Résumé
Landscape design has attracted a number of researchers’ attention due to a significant attachment between landscape and society as well as its crucial role in people’s lives. It is therefore necessary that landscape is designed in accordance with people’s interest. Consequently, the identification of landscapes that people prefer and the factors that influence their preference are imperative. However, there are still gaps in this setting. The body of knowledge regarding the effect of personality characteristics and how individual traits contribute to landscape preference is limited. Most studies in this scope have been conducted in American and European countries, whereas the volume of related literature in Asian countries and cultures is very low. More specifically, to date, no investigation into this issue has been done in Iran. Additionally, most previous research put a great emphasis on examining adults and university students. However, very few studies with a sample of school children and teenagers were carried out ; while it was mentioned in cognitive development theory that children and teenagers have different perceptions and preferences from adults. Therefore, in order to add to the existing body of knowledge on landscape preference, this research aims to investigate the contribution of demographic and personality characteristics towards landscape preference of 384 high school students in Isfahan, Iran. In this aspect, students’ differences in landscape preference based on their gender, age, level of education, and field of study were examined. Also students’ extraversion/introversion, intelligence, and creativity were measured by using Cattell’s 16PF Questionnaire. With regard to landscape preference, therespondents were asked to rate 30 images of six landscape types of Iran including mountainous, urban, forest, desert, water, and farmland landscapes. The results indicated that students’ preference for mountainous and water landscapes were significantly different between gender groups. Likewise, students’ preference for mountainous, urban, forest, and desert landscapes were significantly different across field of study. By contrast, no significant difference in students’ landscape preference was found based on age. Moreover, it was found that extraverted students had a greater preference for both mountainous and urban landscapes than introverts. Meanwhile, less preference for mountainous, urban, and farmland landscapes was found in more creative students. In light of the summary of these findings, it is concluded that demographic and personality characteristics do influence students’ landscape preference. Among the tested independent variables, field of study and creativity respectively revealed the greatest effect on landscape preference while the influence of age was not significant.

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