Abstract
The purpose of this study is to objectively evaluate the characteristics of various types of visual environmental factors, their roles, their psychological effects by subjective appraisal, eye movement, and work performance. The visual environmental factors used in this experiments were window, illuminance level, potted plant, picture, and video. Subjective appraisal was clearly affected by visual environmental factors. Potted plants created feelings of comfort and friendliness and helped them resist fatigue or recover from fatigue. Illuminance level did not seem to create much of an impression or have much effect on the feelings. The characteristics and roles of visual environmental factors were clarified by human eye movement. Subjects did not look at the window or the painting frequently, but their presence was a source of satisfaction. Subjects' eye often rested upon potted plants. Looking at the potted plants was a means of relieving eye strain. On the other hand, video was looked at frequently, but this had the effect of eve-strain. Illuminance level seemed to have had very little effect on eye movements. Work performance was clearly affected by visual environmental factors. When the response of the subjective appraisal was good, work performance improved. Thus, improving the visual environmental factors can be thought of as a source of motivation for better work performance.
