Cause & Affect Recording
The “Cause and Affect” project will reveal the emotion and reaction influenced by sound. Through this interactive project, we will display different walking styles before and after the sound affection.
Duration
10 Weeks
Project Type
Body Tracking Experiment
Archival Interface Design
Human & Technology-Centered Prototype
Team Members
Bryana Lee
Joy Lee
My Role
Motion Capture
User Interface Design
Prototype
Software
Unity
Rokoko Studio
Mixamo
Cause & Affect is an archival interface design and prototype project developed in Unity, which visually represents the study of emotion and physical reaction influenced by sound. This interactive project is designed to explore and reveal how sound with different decibels impact human movement and emotion differently, particularly examining shifts in walking styles.
The “Cause and Affect” project will reveal the emotion and reaction influenced by sound. Through this interactive project, we will display different walking styles before and after the sound affection.
Affection refers to a state or disposition typically associated with emotions or feelings influenced by external factors. However, affection can refer not only to mental responses but also to physical and behavioral reactions. In our daily lives, affection is often seen in how external elements like temperature, light, and sound change our moods, energy levels, and actions—often without us even realizing it.
Our team chose sound as our focal element to experiment with how change in sound levels can influence a person’s physical movements and mental state, demonstrating that sound affects how we feel and move in the world. Using this concept, we specifically wanted to compare participants’ walking styles before and after being exposed to different levels of sound.
For our experiment, we conducted six tests for each decibel level, totaling 18 tests. To maintain consistency, we kept all testing variables the same: we used the same room, dropped the same objects to create sound, and marked the positions of point A and point B. It was also important to keep participants unaware of our testing process, so we scheduled each one for separate sessions and asked them to keep the details confidential from the remaining participants.
Participant is blind folded
Walk from point A to B
Return to point A from B
Participant is blind folded
Walk from point A to B
Object drops when returning
Return to point A
Participant is blind folded
Walk from point A to B
Return to point A from B
Participants are focused on their task
Blind fold allows them to become more focused with their senses
Confidence level was low because of blind fold
Participants are surprised from the sound
Some screamed or startled when they were surprised by the sound
Confidence level increased, then dropped
Participants are scared something will happen
Participants are more cautious and careful with their steps when walking
Confidence is lost due to fear from the sound
The participants’ responses to sound in our experiment showed a wide range of emotional and physical reactions, highlighting the powerful influence of sound on human behavior. Some participants showed initial hesitation with slight fear while blindfolded, whereas others walked confidently. When the sound was introduced, mental and emotional responses varied: some participants remained relatively neutral, while others were clearly startled, even screaming. Afterward, participants often appeared to expect something else to happen, with increased sensitivity, suspicion, and awareness visibly affecting their confidence in walking the same path. Overall, these observations show that sound triggers not only immediate reactions but also impacts participants' movement patterns and confidence levels over time.
The experiment demonstrated that different sound levels (decibels) significantly impact how people react and move. The sound influenced not only participants’ immediate responses but also their movement afterward, leading them to walk more cautiously.
Our team was fascinated by exploring the concept of affection, especially how it can refer to both positive and negative responses. Typically, people think of affection as a positive emotion, but in our study demonstrated that some experiences can trigger discomfort or even traumatic reactions, ultimately influencing future behavior. This experiment shows that affection—our physical and emotional responses to unexpected sound—can take many forms and shape our behavior and perception of our surroundings, whether through calm or distress.