Effect of Light Reflection Brightness in a Car’s Exterior Design on Purchase Intention

Abstract

Of the dimensions that define perceived color quality, including hue, saturation, and brightness, hue is the most actively discussed, and in existing automobile industry research, there are very few reports on the other dimensions. However, in automobile design, brightness can be easily embodied by adjusting the amount of light reflection; thus, it is actively adopted in products. Therefore, in this study, the following hypothesis was derived; “light reflection brightness has a positive effect on purchase intention.” In testing the hypothesis, automobile designs with the same style but different levels of light reflection were created. Using these designs, a randomized controlled trial was conducted in a Japanese online survey environment. Consequently, the hypothesis was supported. The results also clarified that the value of light reflection does not depend on whether consumers attach great importance to design. This result contributes to expanding knowledge about perceived color quality.