Short answer
Design experiences that encourage visitors to actively use their senses and bodies when interacting with historic buildings, as this deepens their emotional connection and encourages conservation support.
- Field
- User-Centred Design
- Source
- Frontiers in Psychology (2025)
- Method
- Quantitative survey research
- Sample
- 383 participants
- Evidence
- Strong effect
Engaging visitors' senses and physical interaction with historic buildings significantly enhances their emotional connection to a place, leading to increased support for its preservation. This user-centred design research insight is drawn from a 2025 study published in Frontiers in Psychology. Using Quantitative survey research with 383 participants, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Design experiences that encourage visitors to actively use their senses and bodies when interacting with historic buildings, as this deepens their emotional connection and encourages conservation support.
Embodied experiences in heritage sites can foster stronger visitor attachment and conservation support.
Engaging visitors' senses and physical interaction with historic buildings significantly enhances their emotional connection to a place, leading to increased support for its preservation.
Frontiers in Psychology · 2025
Key Findings
- 01All three dimensions of embodied cognition (multisensory perception, physical engagement, cognitive processing) positively influence place attachment and intentions toward destination-supportive behaviors.
- 02Place attachment partially mediates the relationship between embodied cognition and supportive behavior intentions.
- 03Resident identity climate enhances the influence of physical engagement and cognitive processing on place attachment.
Application
Design takeaway
Design experiences that encourage visitors to actively use their senses and bodies when interacting with historic buildings, as this deepens their emotional connection and encourages conservation support.
How to apply
When designing visitor trails, interactive exhibits, or interpretive signage for historic sites, consider how to incorporate elements that stimulate touch, sound, smell, and physical movement, alongside opportunities for reflection and learning.
Project actions
- 01When researching user interaction with historical artifacts or buildings, consider how physical and sensory engagement can be measured.
- 02Explore how the perceived social environment or community identity might influence user connection to a designed object or space.
Method & Evidence
Variables
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- +Comprehensive model integrating multiple psychological constructs.
- +Empirical data from a real-world heritage context.
- +Identifies both direct and indirect pathways of influence.
Limitations
The study's findings might be specific to the cultural context of Quanzhou and may not generalize to all heritage sites. The measurement of 'resident identity climate' could be subjective.
Reliability & validity
The study's reliability is supported by its quantitative methodology and the use of established scales for psychological constructs. Validity is enhanced by the theoretical framework and the examination of mediating and moderating effects. However, the generalizability of findings to other cultural contexts requires further investigation.
Think critically
Considering the findings on embodied cognition, how might a designer balance the need for physical interaction with the preservation requirements of fragile historic artifacts or structures?
Design Principles
"Embodied engagement with cultural heritage fosters place attachment and promotes stewardship."
Understanding how visitors physically and sensorially interact with heritage sites is crucial for designing more impactful and memorable experiences. This insight can inform the development of interpretive strategies, site design, and visitor engagement programs that cultivate deeper appreciation and a sense of stewardship for cultural assets.
What This Means for Your Design
When people physically touch, see, hear, and move around old buildings, they feel more connected to them and want to help protect them. How the local people feel about their own identity also makes this connection stronger.
How to use in your project
- 1.Reference this study when discussing how user experience and emotional connection are developed through interaction with a designed artifact or environment.
- 2.Use the findings to justify design choices that prioritize sensory and physical engagement.
Add to My Project
Quick Cite
Paragraph starter
The research by Cai et al. (2025) demonstrates that engaging visitors' embodied cognition—through multisensory perception, physical interaction, and cognitive processing—significantly enhances their place attachment to historic buildings. This heightened attachment, in turn, leads to increased intentions to support the preservation of these sites. The study also found that the perceived identity climate of residents can further strengthen the link between physical and cognitive engagement and place attachment. These findings are crucial for informing design strategies that aim to foster deeper user connection and a sense of responsibility towards cultural heritage.
Source
Frontiers in Psychology
The impact of embodied cognition on place attachment and supportive behavior toward historic buildings in heritage sites: exploring the moderating role of resident identity climate
journal · 2025
View sourceQuestions About This Research
- What does the research say about embodied experiences in heritage sites can foster stronger visitor attachment and conservation support?
- Design experiences that encourage visitors to actively use their senses and bodies when interacting with historic buildings, as this deepens their emotional connection and encourages conservation support. Evidence: Frontiers in Psychology (2025).
- Why does "Embodied experiences in heritage sites can foster stronger visitor attachment and conservation support." matter for design?
- Understanding how visitors physically and sensorially interact with heritage sites is crucial for designing more impactful and memorable experiences. This insight can inform the development of interpretive strategies, site design, and visitor engagement programs that cultivate deeper appreciation and a sense of stewardship for cultural assets.
- How can designers apply this research?
- Design experiences that encourage visitors to actively use their senses and bodies when interacting with historic buildings, as this deepens their emotional connection and encourages conservation support.
- What were the main findings?
- All three dimensions of embodied cognition (multisensory perception, physical engagement, cognitive processing) positively influence place attachment and intentions toward destination-supportive behaviors.. Place attachment partially mediates the relationship between embodied cognition and supportive behavior intentions.. Resident identity climate enhances the influence of physical engagement and cognitive processing on place attachment.
- What research method was used?
- Quantitative survey research with 383 participants.
- How strong is the evidence?
- Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2025 journal from Frontiers in Psychology.
- What should I do differently in my next project?
- When designing visitor trails, interactive exhibits, or interpretive signage for historic sites, consider how to incorporate elements that stimulate touch, sound, smell, and physical movement, alongside opportunities for reflection and learning.
- What are the limitations?
- The study focused on a specific World Heritage site, and the moderating effect of resident identity climate was not significant for all dimensions of embodied cognition.