Gender differences in the effects of perceived control on thermal response during summer

Henan Polytechnic University, Jiaozuo, China

^* Corresponding author: yhy@hpu.edu.cn

Abstract

Perceived control is considered one of the influencing factors that affect the thermal satisfaction and comfort of indoor occupants. In order to explore the relationship between human gender in thermal response and perceived control and conduct in-depth research, field research was conducted on 1186 occupants in a college dormitory in Jiaozuo (the cold region of China). The perceived control vote was divided into four scales from “ no control ” to “ complete control ” . Through collation and analysis of the data obtained, we found that with improved perceived control, females ’ discomfort is significantly reduced, which is lower than males’. Therefore, there are significant gender differences in the impact of perceived control on the thermal response, which can be explained by individual differences in physiological regulation. Similarly, there are body type differences in perceived control. This research can provide support for the adaptive model and provide a new perspective for further research on individual differences in adaptive psychological adjustment.