An Environmental Approach to Positive Emotion: Flowers

Abstract

For more than 5000 years, people have cultivated flowers although there is no known reward for this costly behavior. In three different studies we show that flowers are a powerful positive emotion "inducer". In Study 1, flowers, upon presentation to women, always elicited the Duchenne or true smile. Women who received flowers reported more positive moods 3 days later. In Study 2, a flower given to men or women in an elevator elicited more positive social behavior than other stimuli. In Study 3, flowers presented to elderly participants (55+ age) elicited positive mood reports and improved episodic memory. Flowers have immediate and long-term effects on emotional reactions, mood, social behaviors and even memory for both males and females. There is little existing theory in any discipline that explains these findings. We suggest that cultivated flowers are rewarding because they have evolved to rapidly induce positive emotion in humans, just as other plants have evolved to induce varying behavioral responses in a wide variety of species leading to the dispersal or propagation of the plants.

The Meaning of Flowers: A Cultural and Perceptual Exploration of Ornamental Flowers

“…This is confirmed in the above described empirical research that shows that flowers enhance receptivity to romantic request in Western cultures [31]. Similarly, Haviland Jones and colleagues have found that flowers enhance women's positive emotions and social behavior [2].…”

“…We can assume that if flowers induce such positive emotion and if positive emotion is so central to human emotional needs, then this is the incentive of humans to culture flowers [2]. Humans are also embedded in a larger sensory and social environment than that occupied by their own species [11].…”

“…In ancient Rome flower festivals for the God Flora were undertaken. Silk flowers in China were already created 2000 years ago [1,2]. For more than 5000 years, people have invested energy to cultivate flowers although there is no known reward for this costly behavior.…”

Media Entertainment as a Result of Recreation and Psychological Growth

“…For example, the mere perception of beautiful, or sweet and energy-rich objects seems to trigger pleasure (Kahneman et al, 1997). As such, humans may enjoy furnishing their living environment with flowers (Haviland-Jones, Rosario, Wilson, & McGuire, 2005) or being immersed in nature, such as a lush meadow or forest, particularly when feeling exhausted (Kaplan, 1995). Likewise, users appear to enjoy perceiving supportive environments portrayed by the media, particularly if they undergo depleting life episodes (Katz & Foulkes, 1962).…”

Flourishing in nature: A review of the benefits of connecting with nature and its application as a wellbeing intervention

“…The widespread social norm of giving flowers to others is also suggestive of nature's ability to foster positive relations. Indeed, evidence from experimental studies demonstrates that participants primed with flowers are more likely to help strangers (Guéguen, Meineri, & Stefan, 2012), give money to others (Raihani & Bshary, 2012;Stillman & Hensley, 1980), act gregariously (Haviland-Jones, Rosario, Wilson, & McGuire, 2005), and feel attracted to someone they have just met (Guéguen, 2011(Guéguen, , 2012. Trait nature connectedness is positively associated with humanitarianism (Nisbet et al, 2009), social wellbeing (Howell, Dopko, Passmore, & Buro, 2011;Howell, Passmore, & Buro, 2013), kindness (Leary et al, 2008), empathic concern (Zhang, Piff, Iyer, Koleva, & Keltner, 2014), altruistic concern (Schultz, 2001), and perspective taking (Schultz, 2001).…”