ABSTRACT

The aim of this study is to investigate the sensibilities of various materials including glass and plastic. Material sensibility is critical in shaping one’s image for a product, then may affect on the decision of purchasing the product. However, the basic studies on the sensibility on various materials are rare. Five different materials including glass and plastic were presented to 50 subjects each. They evaluated the materials in terms of transparency, plainness, hardness and sleekness, after experiencing the materials in three different ways; tactile sensing only, visual sensing only and whole sensing allowed. Although it was difficult to identify the materials, the subjects could differentiate relatively the properties of the materials. Also, the result shows subject depend on more the tactile sense than visual sense in deciding what the material is. Especially hardness is most dominant in the sensibility evaluation. People may depend on tactile sense, especially on hardness, in characterizing a glass-like material.