|
Most of aesthetic quality researches concerning the relationship between attribute''s effect and preference result, rarely of them thinking of the process of aesthetic preference formation. Therefore, the thesis based on consumer choice behavior and economical utility theory to build up the landscape aesthetic preference formation model. The research corollaries were founded on literature review. Research hypotheses were formed from the exploratory pilot study. The pilot study used "think-aloud" method to gather the factors that influence the preference decision. These factors were analyzed later to construct the preference model.
The pilot study found that the most important factors which influencing landscape aesthetic preference order were: degree of human development, man-made facility, mountain, water, sense of order, sense of spaciousness. Besides, most of the respondents used non-compensatory decision rule to simplify their choice process, then they used compensatory decision rule to determine their preference order. As the result, the decision rule used in the preference formation process was a combination decision rule. This formed the process a hierarchical one. This study constructed two landscape aesthetic preference models based on the result, and each of them was a two levels nested model. The models were named cognitive choice model and physical choice model respectively. In the cognitive choice model the preference in upper level were influenced by cognitive factors. In the physical choice model the physical factors were the influencing ones. On both models, preference for the lower level alternatives were i-nfluenced by physical factors.
The probabilistic models were used to explain the experimental result. The research used two levels nested logit models to test the hypotheses. The results showed that two levels nested logit models were better than simultaneously logit models, no matter in cognitive choice model or physical choice model. This result demonstrated the existence of hierarchical process of preference formation. Second, "order" and "spacious" in the upper level of cognitive choice model and the "mountain", "man-made facilities" in the upper level of physical choice model were all significant demonstrated that respondents chose factors which have perceiving means and obviously configures. Besides, man-made factors such as building, structures, were effective factors both in highly developed choice set or less developed choice set. Their direct elasticity also showed relatively influencing. In physical choice model, "the exist or not of water body" showed better fit than " the amount of water". This prove that show up or not were more important than their exactly quantity for some influencing factors.
The probability choice model is a suitable analytic method to exploit future researches in aesthetic preference of landscape. Furthermore, practitioners can use the result to scheme more effectively and reasonably plan and design in landscape area.
|