Ohta, H., 2001, A phenomenological approach to natural landscape condition, in: Journal of Environmental Psychology, 21,
- Author : Ohta, H.
- Year : 2001
- Journal/Series : Journal of Environmental Psychology
- Volume Number (CONSECUTIVE: Counting all Volumes of this Journal ever published) : 21
- Pages : 387-403
- Contents in English : The problem of methodology is fundamental in landscape study. Most landscape studies have been performing using quantitative methods from a positivistic standpoint, and have involved the participation of many subjects. The subjects’ responses assessed according to scales made by researches beforehand, and statistical features are extracted from the mass of data. The over-emphasis on positivist methodology in the study of landscape aesthetics has limited the benefits to be obtained from the study of individual’s personal experiences. The present study examines, from a phenomenological point of view, how a person subjectively interprets landscapes. Such studies should lead to an understanding of characteristics of landscape preference or evaluation in relation to landscape cognition as a whole. To achieve this goal, participants were asked to view various photos of natural landscapes on a display monitor and whole views of their landscape cognition were assessed by means of in-depth interviews and qualitative analysis.
- Comments/Notes : KEYWORDS: landscape research, landscape aesthetics, preference, methodology, phenomenological (see glossary) methodology, positivist (see glossary) methodology, qualitative analysis.