|
|
|
| Authors: | K. Yamane, M. Kawashima, N. Fujishige, M. Yoshida |
| Keywords: | Viola x wittrockiana, flowers, relaxation, brain wave, EMG, eyeblink rate, POMS |
| DOI: | 10.17660/ActaHortic.2004.639.3 |
Abstract:
The physiological and emotional effects of working with plants were studied in students.
Subjects (119 in total, 52 males and 67 females, mean age = 21) were assigned to one of three groups: filling pots with soil (control), transplanting non-flowering pansy plants (Viola x wittrockiana ‘Sakura sakura’) (NF-P), or transplanting flowering plants (F-P). Subjects were given 10 minutes to complete the activity.
At the start of the experiment and again after ten minutes, electroencephalogram (EEG) and electromyogram (EMG) recordings were taken from the subject’s forehead, the number of eye blinks per minute were counted, and Profile of Mood States (POMS) data were collected . The ratio of alpha waves to beta waves with the eyes closed significantly increased in the NF-P and the F-P groups but not in the control.
Beta wave amplitudes with eyes opened decreased in F-P group significantly more than in the control.
EMG significantly decreased in the NF-P (P<0.001) and F-P (P<0.05) groups but not in the control group.
Eye blink rate declined in F-P group significantly more than in the control group.
The “Fatigue” score from POMS of the F-P group was significantly lowered compared with the other groups.
These results suggest that activities with plants promoted physiological relaxation.
Working with flowering plants appeared to have a stronger positive effect on human emotions than non-flowering plants.
|
|
Download Adobe Acrobat Reader (free software to read PDF files) |
  
|
