We all love high ceilings. Whenever being shown a space, if a realtor hints at 9- or even 10-foot ceilings we start to raise our eyebrows. But do we know why? Aside from the obvious assumption that it implies more space, research shows that it gives us a sense of freedom and triggers our interest in spatial exploration. Several tests have shown that the feeling of higher ceilings promote abstract thinking, freedom, and creativity; whereas lower ceilings brings on confined thinking. Another test asked participants to look at pictures of rooms with high and low ceilings. The outcomes, though not surprising, showed brain activity in the left precuneus and left middle frontal gyrus—two areas associated with visuospatial exploration. This means that higher ceilings engage our visual attention and make us take interest in our surroundings.
“On the one hand, such rooms promote visuospatial exploration, while at the same time they prompt us to think more freely. This could be a rather potent combination for inducing positive feelings,” psychologist Oshin Vartanian of the University of Toronto-Scarborough told Fast Company. Read More
