Comparison Between Discrete and Analog Semantic Differential Scales Accuracies in Kansei Engineering (Case Study: Reception Chairs)

This study aims to compare the distribution of semantic differential scale results, both discrete and analog, used in Kansei Engineering studies. Previous research shows that observers have a tendency to choose the extreme ends of Likert or discrete semantic differential rating scales. Conventionally, the discrete semantic differential rating scale is used in Kansei Engineering and the above-mentioned tendency may affect the result of studies. Non-normality of the distribution can be an indicator of the presence of error and bias in that method and mitigate its validity. The data was collected through a Kansei Engineering process using a real-world case study of reception chairs. The distribution of the results for both rating scales can be considered normal, hence, the previous researches’ achievements are not valid in the field of Kansei Engineering. This may be due to the ability to compare each answer with others, even implicitly, which is possible in the Kansei form. The results show that the difference between the average scores of the two rating scales is significant (t-test, p < 0.05), warranting further investigation.