Project

Discipline

Waiting; Social Time; Healthcare; Human Spacing; Arts; Healthcare Design; Multidimensional Room Interventions; Artistic Research

Lead
Lay summary
Time’ is often equated with modern technical “clock time.” Sociology and social psychology, on the other hand, set mechanical measurement of time in relation to subjective experience of time, in other words to “social time.”’ Although devoted to the consumer’s perspective, organizations normally invest exclusively in objective time management. This project aims to help remedy the situation  influencing waiting behavior and experience by applying the “temporal know-how” of art and the social sciences. It investigates the influence of temporary artistic transformations of selected waiting rooms on individual waiting experience such as waiting stress  and waiting behavior both of customers and service providers. Based on assumptions about the perception of art (e.g., still lifes), the effects of ‘action-oriented’ versus ‘observation-oriented’ artistic interventions will be explored in a waiting area of a public authority and a hospital emergency waiting room. Contrary to current information centered  types of waiting management, the form of artistic intervention will be oriented to the basic principle of appealing to all the senses. It will comprise visual, acoustic, tactile/haptic and olfactory elements (fragrance management). The “observation-oriented” artistic spatial intervention will be implemented by means of contemplative video works, complementary ornamentation, relaxing fragrances and a corresponding seating design. For the “action- oriented” spatial intervention, measures promoting communication and “stimulating object and surface design” are planned, coupled with a subliminally stimulating fragrance environment. Initially, waiting behavior and waiting experience will be measured in the waiting rooms via short exit-interviews, interviews among the service staff and observation during seven half days of the pre-intervention calendar week. Furthermore medical stress data are collected. Immediately thereafter, the artistic intervention/room transformation package 1 (‘action-oriented’) will be implemented and during the following calendar week, a second measurement of the effect/observation of the impact will be undertaken in the altered waiting rooms. Subsequently, the artistic intervention/room transformation package 2 (“observation oriented’) will be performed and a third measurement will be taken the following week. The evaluation will be carried out by means of social-scientific methods, the main results of which will be analyzed in an interdisciplinary focus group consisting of the entire project team, external artists and social scientists, as well as representatives of the organization involved in the project.

Direct link to Lay Summary

Last update: 21.02.2013

Active participation

Self-organised

Communication	Title	Media	Place	Year

Number	Title	Start	Funding scheme

Relevance‘Time’ is often equated with modern technical “clock time.” Sociology and social psychology, on the other hand, set mechanical measurement of time in relation to subjective experience of time, in other words to “social time.” The comprehensive theoretical occupation with the subject of “time” in philosophy, art and the social sciences has, however, given rise to very little empirical research. Due to a lack of interdisciplinary approaches, there has not been much research on the effect of rooms and general spatial conditions on users’ sense of time and the implications for the interaction between clients and providers in organizations. Although devoted to the consumer’s perspective, organizations usually invest in objective time management. There is a gap in both research and practical application. This project applies the “temporal know-how” of art and the social sciences to analyze and innovatively influence waiting behavior and experience.ObjectivesThe project sheds light on the influence of temporary artistic transformations of selected waiting rooms on individual waiting experience (e.g. waiting/service stress and subjective waiting time) and waiting behavior (e.g. patterns of social interaction) both of customers and service providers. Starting from empirical social-scientific findings about the effects and perception of art, the effects of two types of artistic interventions (‘action-oriented’ versus ‘observation-oriented’) will be explored, in waiting contexts which are more or less emotionally charged.MethodologyAs a waiting situation with an assumed relatively high percentage of routine waiting purposes, a waiting area of a public authority is included, and as waiting context with an assumed higher share of emotionally charged reasons for waiting, a hospital emergency waiting room selected. Contrary to current information-centered types of waiting management, the form of artistic intervention will appeal to all the senses in a way that is as unobtrusive as possible and generally not noticeable. It will comprise visual, acoustic, tactile/haptic and olfactory elements. The “observation-oriented” artistic and design-related spatial intervention will be implemented by means of contemplative video works, complementary ornamentation, relaxing fragrances and a corresponding seating design. For the “action- oriented” spatial intervention, measures promoting communication and “stimulating object and surface design” are planned, coupled with a subliminally stimulating fragrance environment.ImplementationInitially, waiting behavior and waiting experience will be measured in the unaltered waiting rooms via short exit-interviews (controlling among others for the importance of the waiting reason), interviews among the service staff and observation (event recorder) during seven half days of the pre-intervention calendar week. Furthermore medical stress data are collected when entering and when leaving the waiting room. Immediately thereafter, the artistic intervention package 1 (‘action-oriented’) will be implemented and during the following calendar week, a second measurement will be undertaken in the altered waiting rooms. Subsequently, the artistic intervention package 2 (“observation oriented’) will be performed and third measurements will be taken the following week. The evaluation will be carried out by means of social-scientific univariate and multivariate methods, the main results of which will be analyzed in a focus group consisting of the entire project team, external artists and social scientists, as well as representatives of the organization involved in the project.