2026-09-10T09:44:26Z https://drops.dagstuhl.de/oai

oai:drops-oai.dagstuhl.de:27552 2026-09-10T05:38:42Z ddc:004 open_access

Mapping Cycling Experience in Valence-Arousal Space: A Geometric Approach to Appraisal Heterogeneity Grisiute, Ayda Wörle, Johanna Mavros, Panagiotis Raubal, Martin bike infrastructure affect grid inter-rater variability online survey In this paper, we argue that heterogeneity in experiential appraisals can function as an informative signal for subjective cycling experience. We introduce a geometric framework to characterize the "shape" of experiential appraisal within a two-dimensional affect space. Using data from a crowd-sourced survey, in which participants (N = 239) evaluated 30 first-person cycling video scenarios, we describe appraisal heterogeneity not only by its overall extent (dispersion), but also by its directional structure (anisotropy), bimodality (polarization), and the diversity of affective categories and environmental cues (entropy). Our findings reveal a structural asymmetry. Negative environments result in a rigid, more linear stress response, whereas positive environments allow for diffuse, multi-polar appraisals. We further find that observer experience modulates the magnitude of dispersion, whereas the direction of appraisal remains relatively stable across demographic subgroups. We propose that this approach can quantitatively distinguish between those environments that are consistently perceived as non-bikeable and those that evoke conflicting interpretations. Our methodology complements user-centric models, such as cycling archetypes, by describing the underlying structure of divergent experiences. Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik Ayda Grisiute and Johanna Wörle and Panagiotis Mavros and Martin Raubal 2026 Is Part Of LIPIcs, Volume 393, 17th International Conference on Spatial Information Theory (COSIT 2026) InProceedings Text doc-type:ResearchArticle publishedVersion application/pdf doi:10.4230/LIPIcs.COSIT.2026.8 urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-275524 https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.COSIT.2026.8 eng https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode