IMPACT OF RETAIL LIGHTING ON CONSUMER PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGY AND BEHAVIOR: SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW

Abstract

In an increasingly competitive retail environment, physical stores must evolve into experiential landscapes in which atmospheric elements shape consumer behavior. Lighting functions as a fundamental atmospheric stimulus, yet its impact has been examined mainly through subjective evaluations, leaving underlying neurobiological mechanisms insufficiently explored. This Systematic Literature Review (SLR) investigates how retail lighting attributes mediate consumers’ psychophysiological processing and shape behavioral outcomes within the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) framework. Guided by the PRISMA protocol, a content analysis was conducted on 20 empirical studies published between 2014 and 2025. The synthesized evidence demonstrates that lighting parameters, particularly illuminance and correlated color temperature (CCT), act as key determinants for physiological responses (e.g., visual attention and brainwave activity) and psychological states (e.g., emotional responses and perceptual evaluations). Furthermore, causal mapping indicates a pronounced imbalance toward perceptual and attitudinal outcomes, with still limited evidence capturing observable consumer behavior. To improve empirical rigor and ecological validity, this review advocates triangulating physiological tools, psychometric measures, and real-time behavioral observation, thereby strengthening the foundation for evidence-based, human-centered lighting strategies.