Material Preference Patterns Across MBTI Personality Types in Private Residential Interiors Design

Abstract

Objective: Human personality significantly influences environmental perception and spatial preferences. While previous research explored personality-based design using general frameworks, investigations examining the relationship between MBTI personality typologies and interior material preferences in residential settings remain limited. This study aims to investigate the association between MBTI personality types Analysts, Diplomats, Sentinels, and Explorers and material preferences in private residential interiors.

Methods: This descriptive–analytical research employed a correlational approach with 384 residents of villa houses in District 6 of Shiraz, Iran, selected through random sampling. Data were collected using the standardized MBTI questionnaire (87 items) and researcher-developed interior images depicting seven materials (brick, metal, stone, wood, glass, concrete, plaster). Instruments were validated through expert review and confirmed via Cronbach's alpha (>0.70). Data were analyzed using Chi-square tests, Cramer's V, and Correspondence Analysis in SPSS.

Results: Chi-square analysis revealed a significant association between personality types and material preferences (χ²=37.394, df=18, p=0.005; V=0.180, p=0.005). Wood was the most preferred material across all groups (35.4%). Analysts preferred wood (38.1%), stone (23.8%), and glass (17.1%). Diplomats strongly favored wood (64.0%), followed by plaster (16.0%). Sentinels favored wood (36.5%), stone (20.1%), and glass (17.5%). Explorers preferred stone (38.5%), wood (16.9%), and glass (15.4%). Correspondence analysis identified distinct material–personality clusters.

Conclusion: These findings confirm that MBTI personality types are significantly associated with material preferences in residential interiors, supporting the integration of psychological typologies into personalized interior design. This provides practical guidance for aligning material selection with occupants' psychological profiles to enhance spatial well-being and environmental satisfaction.