Family interaction activities and the influence of selected design attributes in the home environment

Date

2006-08

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Texas Tech University

Abstract

This study provided data on how families in a small town in the southern United States use their home for interaction and how design attributes within the home can facilitate interaction among family members. The subjects included 42 families living in a small town in south Texas. Each family consisted of a single parent or dual parent household with at least one child ranging in the ages of 5 to 18 years living in the home. This cross-sectional study required subjects to complete a self-administered questionnaire surveying (a) family interaction activities, and (b) preferences of design attributes in the home environment. Frequency tabulations were used to evaluate the data. The findings from this study were compared to the findings from families living in a small town in the northeastern region of the United States. The preferences of selected design attributes between the two regions had no major differences. Design implications suggest a large, open, multi-functional family space with visual access will have a positive influence of family interaction. Even though, no major differences were found to be evident among the preferences of the design attributes in the two studies, further research should be conducted to properly assess the needs of each region or family.

Description

Keywords

Built environment, Interaction activities, Design attributes

Citation