Emerging Dimensions of Spatial Perception in Interactive Environments: An Analytical Reappraisal

Spatial perception is a complex and dynamic process that plays a central role in shaping experience, behavior, and meaning in spatial environments, making it a key focus of contemporary research in design and interactive studies. Despite extensive literature on the topic, most previous studies have emphasized cognitive aspects and mental representations, while relational, emotional, and motivational dimensions of spatial experience have received limited systematic attention. This study employs an analytical approach and theoretical reappraisal, drawing on qualitative analysis of selected research in spatial perception and interactive environments, to revisit existing frameworks. The findings indicate that spatial perception is not merely the outcome of discrete cognitive processes but emerges from the interaction of three interrelated levels: cognitive characteristics, interactive spatial relations, and emotional-motivational aspects, all shaped by experience within socio-cultural contexts. Although emotional and motivational components have been examined in areas such as aesthetics and spatial preference theories, they have not been consistently integrated into spatial perception analyses. The conceptual framework proposed here enables simultaneous consideration of cognitive, relational, and emotional dimensions of spatial experience, providing a theoretical foundation for future research and the design of modern interactive environments. By moving beyond reductionist approaches and relying on a three-layer model encompassing cognitive, relational, and emotional-motivational components, this study offers a more comprehensive, interdisciplinary, and practically applicable understanding of spatial perception in interactive environments.

کلیدواژه ها:

Spatial perception ، Spatial cognition ، Spatial experience ، Environmental preferences ، Interactive environments