Attempting to Foster Biophilia through Caring for a Common Plant

Abstract

Interacting with nature has been shown to have a number of benefits. Although indoor plants are arguably the most accessible source of nature contact in our indoor environment, there is a limited body of research into the effects of interacting with indoor plants. The purpose of the present research was to assess the effects of interacting with a plant from seed until shortly after the plant sprouts above the soil. Participants were assigned to either a sprout or no-sprout group. It was expected that participants in the sprout group would experience the greatest increase in well-being, a stronger sense of connection, and greater presence of meaning in their lives. Contrary to expectations, there were no significant differences between the groups; however there was some indication that participants in the sprout group experienced an increase in guilt and a stronger sense of searching for meaning. Implications and methodological constraints are discussed.iii Acknowledgements I have really appreciated my experiences here at Carleton University. I would like to thank my supervisor, John Zelenski, for giving me the freedom and space to express myself and explore avenues of intellectual inquiry previously unavailable to me.