Slowing Down in an Impulse-Permeated World

Abstract

There are more diagnoses of autism spectrum disorder and the world is more and more demanding of our directed attention. This can lead to Directed Attention Fatigue which leads to heightened arousal. Per the Yerkes-Dodson Law, heightened arousal lowers performance in simple and especially in complex tasks. People who are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder might view a social task (often needed in a semi-public space) as a complex one which a neuro-typical person would view as simple. The objective is therefore to lower arousal. The environment also has a very large impact on a person. It is therefore wise to see how that could be used in lowering arousal. The main question in this thesis is therefore: what design elements could be improved with help from autism spectrum disorder to improve the experience and perception of semi-public spaces? The difference between people diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and neuro-typical people lies in individual differences, situational factors, social conditions, cultural factors and how they are able to cope. The design elements that therefore be valued more are privacy, spatial crowding, illumination, general stimuli and nature.