A Scoping Review of the Sensory Characteristics of Wood Materials from a Person–Environment Fit Perspective in Indoor Environmental Research

The environmental sensory characteristics of wood materials significantly influence users' psychological and physiological well-being. However, existing research predominantly focuses on individual sensory channels or isolated physical parameters, lacking systematic integration from the perspective of human-environment interaction. Based on the P-E Fit theory, this scoping review, using a Web of Science search and supplementary citation tracing, included 66 post-2010 studies, identifying gaps and future directions. Current research shows notable imbalances across three dimensions: user needs (P), environmental offerings (E), and matching outcomes (Fit). In the P-layer, participants are mostly college students aged 18–30; the elderly and children are significantly underrepresented, and cross-cultural comparisons are virtually absent, limiting insights into user demand heterogeneity. In the E-layer, visual physical parameters dominate, tactile and olfactory research are limited, and auditory studies are nearly absent, leaving multisensory integration at an early stage. The Fit-layer reveals most studies at a descriptive exposure level, with minimal systematic investigation of interaction mechanisms between user characteristics and environmental offerings, and inadequate research on matching mechanisms. To address these gaps, future research should: establish a participant system covering the entire life cycle and systematically examine cross-cultural and gender differences; strengthen independent auditory studies and neuroscience investigations into the integrated mechanisms of visual, tactile, and olfactory channels, establishing dose-response relationships for key physical parameters; employ factorial designs, longitudinal tracking, and ecological momentary assessment to shift from describing effects to decoding mechanisms, thereby providing empirical support for evidence-based design and precise optimization of wooden indoor environments.