Effect of scaling method on perception of textiles

This study examined the effect of scaling methods on tactual ratings of fabrics. Four tactile attributes, namely, stiffness, thickness, roughness, and warmth, of 11 test fabrics with a wide variety of tactual qualities were evaluated by 75 college students enrolled in textile courses. The tactual ratings of all four attributes evaluated by touch and sight and touch were significantly correlated. The tactual evaluation made on a 7-point semantic differential scale on each test fabric was compared with tactual ranking by paired-comparison method. Significant correlations were found between two rankings of four attributes.