Semantically Layered Structure of Tactile Textures

This study constructed a multi-layered semantic structure of adjective pairs that are used to express the tactile properties of materials. We analyzed the causalities between adjectives using the DEMATEL method, involving twenty-nine adjective pairs and forty-six materials, and thus constructed a multi-layered structure. The constructed structure contained psychophysical, affective, and preferential layers. The psychophysical layer consisted of words related to the physical properties of materials, which were rough/smooth, uneven/flat, hard/soft, cold/warm, sticky/slippery, and wet/dry. The affective layer included affective sensations such as comfortable/uncomfortable and friendly/unfriendly. The words related to individual preferences, which include rich/poor, good/bad, like/dislike, and happy/sad, were located on the highest layer of the structure. The constructed structure helps us understand affective and preferential perceptions of materials through psychophysical perceptions.