Social attributions based on domestic interiors

The paper considers the social attributions people derive from domestic int eriors using an open-ended, non-prescriptive methodology. Using 26 photogra phs of living rooms, chosen to represent a variety of,interior styles, 36 p articipants were asked to classify the rooms in terms of the people they th ought might inhabit them, using the Multiple Sorting Procedure. The results show that people are able to derive hypotheses regarding the social and pe rsonal aspects of the inhabitants from the design of the room; from the occ upants' age, occupation and wealth to their personality, aspirations, hobbi es and lifestyles. Analysis of the data using Multidimensional Scalogram An alysis shows that the constructs age, social class and family status accoun t for the overall structure of the classifications. The theoretical implica tions are discussed. (C) 2000 Academic Press.