Context effects in perceived environmental quality assessment: Scene selection and landscape quality ratings

Observer groups rated the scenic beauty of forest scenes represented by color slides presented in the context of different scene mixes. The proportion of scenes from recently harvested, low scenic beauty forests compared with those from unharvested, high scenic beauty forests had a significant effect on judgments of scenes common to both sets. The effects of different scene contexts on scenic beauty judgments can result from changes in observers' perception of the scenes and from shifts in their criteria for assigning ratings. A psychophysical scaling analysis is suggested as a means for dealing with criterion shifts. Because perceptual shifts may also occur, procedures used to assess scenic beauty should be designed to reflect accurately the context to which the assessment applies, and care should be exercised in comparing experimental results obtained in different contexts.