Ricerc@Sapienza

From the 1950s onward, psychologists have generally assumed that people possess a general need for cognitive consistency, whose frustration by an inconsistency elicits negative affect. We offer a novel perspective on this issue by introducing the distinction between epistemic and motivational impact of consistent and inconsistent cognitions. The epistemic aspect is represented by the updated expectancy of the outcome addressed in such cognitions. The motivational aspect stems from value (desirability) of that outcome.

Universities worldwide are adopting new teaching methods and using new educational technologies. This progress requires changes in their physical environment, especially in the case of lighting, which is regarded as fundamental because of its recognised effect on the learning process. Different light levels are needed for new classroom tasks. The aim of the present paper is to analyse the affective impressions of university students with regard to the luminous environment in their classroom, in relation to the different tasks they carry out there.