Levels of stress reduction in biophilic indoor environments compared among experiments using different stressor tasks

Abstract

A growing number of studies uses stressor tasks and virtual reality (VR) images for evaluating levels of stress reduction by indoor planting design. However, previous research has not determined how evaluations could be affected by different stressor tasks. In this study, we compared three different stressor tasks such as the Uchida-Kraepelin psychodiagnostic Test, a VDT (visual display terminal) work, and the open affective standardized image set (OASIS) through experiments using a VR image of an office designed with ornamental plants. Scores of PANAS (the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule) (NA) and STAI (the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory) A－State indicated no difference among stressor tasks. Results of PANAS (PA) and nHF analysis suggested that OASIS is effective for measuring levels of stress reduction. For evaluating levels of stress reduction by indoor planting design, further research is needed for determining effective stressor tasks by measuring a broader range of psychological and physiological stress responses from subjects with diverse demographic backgrounds.