Morphological Buffering in Neuro-Architecture: Interactive Effects of Color, Shape, and Area Proportion on Affective Processing

While architectural visual features significantly influence human emotion, the spatiotemporal neuro-mechanisms underlying their interactive effects remain poorly under-researched. This study systematically decoupled the dynamics of indoor spatial perception by investigating the interactive impacts of color combination, color shape, and area proportion to find out the effects on participants’ emotion. By integrating high-resolution electroencephalography (EEG), specifically analyzing the N200, late positive potential (LPP), Frontal Alpha Asymmetry (FAA), and Beta bands with Self-Assessment Manikin (SAM) ratings and Liking scores in immersive virtual indoor environments, data from 61 valid participants were analyzed. The results revealed a hierarchical neuro-affective processing structure: morphology dominated early cognitive processing, where curved geometries acted as a pre-attentive cognitive buffer, acting as a cognitive buffer by significantly attenuating the early-stage visual stress induced by angular, high-contrast configurations. Conversely, color combination primarily drove late-stage sustained environmental arousal, tracked by the LPP. Notably, area proportion demonstrated a significant amplification effect, significantly exacerbating pre-existing neuro-affective biases. Crucially, cross-modal triangulation revealed a selective inter-modal coupling: while sustained cortical activation (ΔLPP) significantly predicted subjective emotional arousal, early physiological buffering (ΔN200/ΔFAA) was functionally dissociated from subjective aesthetic preference (ΔLiking). This decoupling provides preliminary evidence consistent with a dual-system processing framework, suggesting that while curves may facilitate a preconscious biological safe baseline, ultimate aesthetic appreciation is likely subject to top-down cognitive over-riding. Ultimately, these findings transition indoor spatial color design from intuitive practice to evidence-based neuro-aesthetics, highlighting the critical role of morphological buffering and EEG metrics in optimizing human emotional well-being.