Semantic discrepancies between Korean and English versions of the ASHRAE sensation scale

The seven-point thermal sensation scale provides a consistent measurement protocol widely applied in both field studies and lab experiments. Whilst thermal comfort studies have been carried out in diverse languages and cultures across the globe, there are suspicions among the research community whether the scale carries the same meaning when translated into different languages. This paper explores the question of semantics on the 7-point thermal sensation scale, focusing on identifying and quantifying linguistic bias introduced to the translation. Empirical data from multiple thermal comfort field survey campaigns administered in the Korean language are analysed and compared against reference data collected using the original English version of the ASHRAE scale (a subset of ASHRAE Global Thermal Comfort Database II from English-speaking countries). The analysis is focused on the question of whether survey respondents' interpretation of the scale systematically diverge from the assumptions underlying the original English version: i.e. (1) central three categories of the 7-point sensation scale being regarded as expressions of acceptable thermal comfort; (2) comfort being symmetrical around the optimum 'neutral' point; and (3) the widths of scale categories being consistent. Our analysis indicates that when translated into Korean the scale's semantics diverge significantly from the original English version. The implications of this discovery for previously published findings based on translated scales are also discussed. The paper calls for a more systematic investigation into linguistic dimensions of the scale to support a consistent and standardised guideline for the translation of thermal sensation scales from which compatible multilingual databases of thermal comfort can be developed.

Automated summary

This paper investigates the semantic issues of the seven-point thermal sensation scale and finds that the translations into Korean significantly diverge from the original English version. The study calls for a more systematic investigation into the linguistic dimensions of the scale to support consistent and standardized translations.