The work aims to explore the correlation between material physical quantities that represent functional properties of materials and perception in product design. Based on the approach of psychophysics, a mixed-method research was employed to characterize the targeted material physical quantities involved in the study, quantify the perception of product materials, and analyze the correlation rules between material physical quantities and perception. A "material knowledge mapping model" was constructed to explain the specific relationship between them, and a material recommendation platform for product design was established. Moreover, the efficacy of the theoretical model and the platform was demonstrated through a case study focusing on the selection of surface materials for social robots designed for preschoolers. In the perception of product materials, the sensory and perceptional experiences of materials were mainly related to the material somatosensory physical quantities representing mechanical and thermal properties, and the visual physical quantities representing optical characteristics. Specifically, individual's sensory experiences to the surface roughness and glossiness of materials were correlated with density, elastic modulus, gloss, specific heat capacity, thermal conductivity, and heat storage coefficient. The perceptional experiences of "comfort" and "pleasure" were not only associated with density, elastic modulus, and gloss, but also individually related to specific heat capacity, thermal conductivity, and heat storage coefficient. Product designers can make use of the correlation content of the theoretical model to clearly understand how differences in material Perception are caused by material physical quantities. They can also reasonably predict perception based on existing material physical quantities to improve the efficiency of material selection in product design through scientific methods.