A psychophysical evaluation of interior design alternatives for a high speed train

The magnitude estimation technique was used to evaluate several interior design alternatives for a high speed train. Design factors considered in this study include direction of passenger seats; passenger activity; and passenger age. The results showed that the passenger seat should be able to be arranged toward the traveling direction of the train. Also, a variety of convenience facilities could enhance the passenger comfort. These results were validated by using two different dependent measures. This paper demonstrates the use of psychophysical measurement techniques when it is difficult to express subjective preference in the form of quantitative data for making engineering decisions.