A Qualitative Systematic Review of Occupant Behaviour in the Home: Multidisciplinary Approaches to Thermal Comfort

Other conference contribution, 2025

Overheating in residential buildings has become a growing concern, particularly in Nordic regions where high indoor temperatures were historically uncommon. The lack of mechanical cooling systems and the significant time occupants spend indoors exacerbate heat stress vulnerability. The concept of occupant behaviour (OB) has been applied across multidisciplinary fields to study the phenomenon of overheating, including engineering, architecture, and social science. While OB has been recognised as a contributing factor in indoor environmental quality and the thermal comfort of occupants, its study in the domestic sphere is often limited. This is due to the private nature of households, which constrains what can be measured through conventional methodologies. Adding to the complexity across fields is the variation in theoretical perspectives, methodological frameworks, and empirical data included in the studies.

This paper makes use of a qualitative systematic literature review to map how OB is defined and conceptualised in the context of residential overheating. The household unit serves as a lens for understanding what is considered empirical data and how this data is collected and interpreted. The review examines the diverse perspectives through which OB is studied, encompassing its drivers, interactions, and implications for understanding human-building interactions. A particular focus is placed on unpacking how OB is framed in different disciplines, from deterministic approaches in engineering to sociocultural narratives in the social sciences. By identifying commonalities and contradictions in how OB is theorised and operationalised, the study aims to identify opportunities for bridging between disciplinary approaches.