Reflection of Individual Differences on Emotion Map for Kansei Evaluation of Packaging Design with Physiological Indexes

Kansei evaluation is a method that quantitatively assesses human sensibilities and emotions using numerical values. It enhances the temporal efficiency of product exterior design decisions and other applications by objectively evaluating human sensibilities and emotions. Using sensory evaluation methods with physiological indexes quantitatively captures individuals’ unconscious reactions, reducing the influence of subjective biases. A method has been proposed to compare and evaluate such assessments corresponding to Arousal-Valence space (A-V space), which is known as the Emotion Map. This method, capable of displaying human sensory values on a two-dimensional coordinate system, is effective for intuitively discussing the impact of stimuli on sensibilities based on their positions. However, a challenge in creating the Emotion Map lies in the significant individual differences in physiological reactions due to bodily characteristics. Therefore, to address this challenge, it is desirable to normalize or standardize all values before mapping them onto the coordinates. However, it is not thoroughly discussed which of these methods is most suitable for evaluation in the Emotion Map. Hence, this study aims to compare and examine these methods, wherein actual emotional responses of individuals when viewing product packages are acquired through physiological indexes, normalized and standardized using appropriate methods, and evaluated in the Emotion Map. Furthermore, comparisons will be made with the results of the Self-Assessment Manikin (SAM) method to discuss which normalization method is most appropriate.