Abstract
The present study was conducted to examine psychological and physical responses to a video of forests in a basic manner, involving 24 healthy adults (12 males and females) in their twenties (mean age : 21.67±1.31 years old). In the study, footage of forests and a control video of other scenes were used. A twenty-minute experiment was conducted in which the subjects watched the videos and took a five-minute rest prior to and following viewing them. The results obtained using the semantic differential (SD) technique and heart rate variability were used as assessment indices, and self-completed questionnaires, including the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and profile of mood state (POMS), were implemented before and after the experiment to examine their reactions to the images of forests. After viewing the video, the subjects felt calm and a sense of abundance, and received a favorable and dynamic impression. There were marked increases in VAS scores for “pleasantness” , “calming” , and “refreshing” (p ＜0.001 to 0.01), and a significant decrease was noted in “Tension-Anxiety” of the POMS (p ＜0.01). The heart rate variability indicated a marked change in parasympathetic nerve activity. The results suggested that the appropriate use of pleasant, soothing scenes and their lingering effects may increase pleasantness and relaxing effects of the video.
